Nightmares of the Past
by notcreativeenoughtomakeone
Summary: Sequel to As you Wish. 25 years have past since Yumi's death. Ulrich has managed to get his life back.Suddenly,Ulrich's daughter is kidnapped and the police give up after a year,reporting her dead.Ulrich however doesn't believe she's dead,and searches.
1. After school pick up

_Sequel to As you wish. The deleted scenes are added, and the story correct to make it look better. _

**Disclaimer- I don't own code lyoko, sheesh, should be common since by now. This applies for all chapters**

Ulrich Stern, age thirty nine, five foot ten, brown hair, brown eyes, and athletic build. was walking out of his office building with his empty silver coffee cup that he used in the mornings. Walking through the parking lot, a fellow employee wished him well and Ulrich returned the wish with a friendly wave. Pressing unlock on his key chain he opened his car door and sat at the wheel, throwing the coffee cup in the back seat. Buckling up he started the car and then looked to see if he had an opportunity to leave. Waiting for three cars to go he turned out of his parking spot and toward the exit of the office building parking lot.

To himself Ulrich saw himself being a professional soccer player or a martial arts champion. Years passed and his dreams became fantasies. Children have dreams when they're young, but then an event happens, making them realize that dreams don't always come true. Ulrich Stern's problem was that his eye opening event happened when he was too young. Age fourteen he lost a dear of his. Nightmares of that event still haunt his dreams.

Years passed, and Ulrich slid away from his hopes and dreams. One dream of his was to be with a girl when he was thirteen. When he was fourteen, she died. It wasn't a sad unavoidable event, she was murdered. Murdered by a lunatic who claimed to love her, but she didn't love him. Yumi Ishiyama was buried at age fifteen in the cemetery a block away from her childhood home. Her murderer was buried as well, his body being taken back to his parents where they lived. Yumi was the first girl he had ever loved, and the first one he lost.

To honor her memory, he visited her grave once a week. Wanting to remember her further, he named his only daughter after her. Yumi Stern, age eight was much like her father. Brave, adventurous, strong, and really good at soccer. Her long hair was red like her mothers.

Years after Ulrich graduated he went to his ten year high school reunion. A woman was catering there, and she recognized him.

Walking over to him gingerly she tapped him on the shoulder and asked, " Are you Ulrich Stern?" Ulrich looked up at the cute red haired woman, who was a few years younger than him. It took him a few seconds before he noticed who she was.

" Milly Solovieff?" When Ulrich left a month later to return home, he took Milly with him. Milly told him how her post high school life was going so far. Milly was twenty five at the time, and had made a few bad decisions after high school. Going from place to place, job to job, she ended up catering parties in Germany where she coincidently bumped into her jr high crush, and her future husband. The two got married a month after Ulrich and her moved in together. When Yumi was born, she liked the fact the Ulrich named her that, knowing why he had done it.

* * *

Turning into the intersection he heard his cell phone ring and answered it. " Hello?" He asked, not checking to see who it was.

" Hello honey. I need you to pick up Yumi from school," Milly said to him.

" Why can't you?" Ulrich asked, knowing it was in fact her turn.

" There's a wreck in front of me, and the police have blocked traffic. They say it could be a while." Milly answered, watching a victim of the wreck being put into an ambulance.

" Alright. See you at home. Love you."

" Love you too." They both hung up as Ulrich took the exit off the freeway. Driving for another ten minutes, he turned on a street and looking at the elementary school. He parked the car on the curb where a lot of parents were waiting.

Ulrich checked his watch, ' Two fifty.' As if on cue the bell rang and everything went silent for a few seconds before a mess a children ran out the doors and into their parents cars. Looking for his child Ulrich saw a girl walk out with the crowd looking for her mothers car, not expecting her father to pick her up. Seeing her father in the car she smiled and began to walk over.

Ulrich watched his daughter and saw a man running pass his car. Yumi reached the sidewalk next on the curb and began to walk toward the car. Ulrich unlocked the doors and waited for her. Her backpack was flung over her shoulder as she kept her eyes on the car. Thinking about what she wanted to do when she got home. ' Should I play games, or watch tv?'

Suddenly the man who ran passed Ulrich's car crouched down while running and scooped up Yumi from the crowd and kept running. Ulrich saw that and snapped into action without hesitation.

" YUMI!" Opening his door and sliding over his hood. The man saw him and pulled out a gun from his waist and fired it into the air. All of the children around the school went into a mad panic and began to run in Ulrich's path. " Move!" Ulrich shouted pushing his way through to save his daughter.

Ulrich broke through the crowd and kept running after the man. " Daddy!" Yumi shouted, trying to struggle to make him let her go. Reaching her arm toward him desperately. " Daddy!"

" Yumi!" The sidewalk ended into a curb and four way intersection. A black van pulled to the curb and the doors opened. The man threw Yumi in the back as a few masked men began to tie her.

" Daddy!" She shouted one last time before tape was placed over her mouth. The man who snatched her turned around and aimed his gun at Ulrich who stopped. The man fired and Ulrich dove behind a car for cover. The man jumped into the van, the doors closing behind him. Ulrich looked up and saw that the van was driving away. Running back to his car he drove to the intersection and turned after them.


	2. Stop the van!

Ulrich turned into the intersection and after the van. Going very well over the speed limit, he stayed on the black van that had a head start. Hating himself for buying a car built for luxury and not speed, Ulrich swerved around cars in hot pursuit.

' Why is this happening?' Ulrich thought, not letting his eyes off the van, noticing It didn't have any plates.

The van changed lanes and Ulrich mimicked the action. Ulrich drove past the car in front of him, then swerved back into the lane. For a van it sure had some speed. Finally at the bumper of the van he was thinking about ramming it, but then remembered Yumi. Changing lanes and pulling next to the van he looked in the side view and saw the driver. He looked at Ulrich and was wearing a mask, but Ulrich could see his dark blue cold eyes. They were frighteningly cold.

Suddenly the truck turned and hit Ulrich's car, knocking him into oncoming traffic. Ulrich swerved, barely missing a blue compact who's driver flipped him off as he drove pass. Swerving back into the right lane, he rammed the van back, doing more damage to his car than the van. The van turned right onto another street and Ulrich followed, not reading two signs saying, ' do not enter' and ' one way road.'

The van swerved around the traffic who then almost hit Ulrich. Swerving around and away from the traffic Ulrich then heard a semi's horn then looked away from the van and saw a semi about to hit him. Swerving to the right he made it, but lost his side view mirror. Looking back at the van, seeing it turn onto another street.

Turning after it he tried to pick up speed from having last distance from the one way street. Hearing police sirens Ulrich looked in front of him and saw police vehicles pull out from the next intersection, stopping in front of him. Ulrich slammed on his breaks as ten guns were pointed at him. Eight of the police members ducked behind the cars as the last two made for Ulrich.

" Get out of the car!" One shouted at him.

" The van!" He shouted at the police. " Stop the van!" The police ignored him and saw that he wasn't going to go easy so smashed open his window. " The van, stop the van!" He repeated as the police opened his car door and dragged him out. Throwing him to the ground, one police officer cuffed him as one read him his rights. " Let me go! My daughter was kidnaped!"

" Sure buddy," The police officer said as he pulled Ulrich off the ground and slammed his chest against the hood of a police vehicle. Ulrich looked down the street and saw the van that was far out of reach turn into another street. Unable to control his anger Ulrich pulled back up quick and hit the officer behind him. Another moved in to control him, but received a knee in the gut as Ulrich ran to his car with his hands still cuffed behind his back.

Before he reached his car a police officer fired a taser that attached to his back, then started to electrocute him. Ulrich fell to his knees the fell against his car as the electricity stopped. His fingertips numb, he began to try to pull himself off the ground and into his car before the electricity began to go again. Ulrich fell to his back and began to twitch, but couldn't shout. Then it stopped again as the police waited. Ulrich began to try to move again before the third one sent him to sleep.

* * *

Slowly opening his eyes, Ulrich examined his current environment. Laying up, he saw that he was on a cold bench in a large jail cell. A sickly feeling ran through his body as he tried to regain focus. Everything came back. 'Daddy!' He heard his daughter scream from within his head. The jail cell was large enough to hold more than a dozen people, half a dozen with Ulrich in there already.

Looking past the bars, Ulrich saw several desks that were unoccupied. Paper work was littered on the desks, and apparently hadn't been started. A tall man in the jail cell walked over to Ulrich and looked down at him. This man was bald and had several facial piercings and tattoos, one on his bald head. His arms were painted with tattoos and extremely muscular. Over all, this guy didn't look very friendly.

" I like you shoes," The man said to Ulrich. " Let me have them."

" Buddy, right now I'm the last person you want to piss off," Ulrich said, standing up then walking over to the bars.

" Excuse me?" The man asked, not liking any disrespect.

" Hello!" Ulrich shouted , trying to get a police officer.

" Don't you look away from me!" The man shouted before slammed Ulrich against the bars. Usually Ulrich would just walk away from such a fight, but in this case he couldn't. With no tolerance for no one who wasn't helping him he kicked the man in the groin, then while he went to his knees, kicked him in the face, sending him down and out. Another man in the cell moved in on Ulrich who spun around and sent his knee into his gut, then elbowed him in the back of the head.

The six men in the cell began to fight against Ulrich. Two men grabbed his arms and held him as one began to punch him. Jumping up he kicked his attacker, knocking his holders down. While they were down Ulrich elbowed both at the same time then stood up. A moment later a man jumped and landed on his back, choking him. Ulrich walked back then rammed the man back against the bars. Hitting the bars three times the man loosened his grip, then Ulrich elbowed his side, grabbed the mans collar and flung him over his back. A man tried to punch Ulrich who ducked, the man punching a steel bar, a moment later Ulrich sent him to the floor.

The doors opened and a voice shouted, " Break it up!" Three officers had been watching the fight for fun in the security room, but then the sargent walked in and ordered them to break it up. One officer threatened Ulrich's attackers with a taser, making them all back off. The other two took Ulrich out of cell and threw him in a private one.

" Where's my phone call," Ulrich asked a police officer.

" Shut up," The officer said because he bet against Ulrich, losing fifty dollars.

" I know my rights, I want my phone call." The other officer let Ulrich out and led him to the phone.

" Five minutes." Ulrich nodded and began to dial his number. His home phone rang as Milly lowered her cutting knife, already wearing a apron and making dinner. The phone rang and she placed the knife down and wiped her hands on a towel and answered the phone.

" Hello?" Milly asked.

" Milly," Ulrich began.

" Ulrich! Where are you. Did you pick up Yumi?"

" Something's happened," Ulrich said sadly. " I'm at the police station."

" What?" Milly asked, wondering if she heard right. " Why?"

" I don't have time to explain. Just get over here."

" Where's Yumi?" Milly asked, wanting to know where her daughter was.

" I need to tell you, but bail me out first."

" Alright. I'll be there soon, hold on."

" Thanks." Milly hung up the phone as Ulrich kept it to his ear till it said, ' if you'd like to make a call, please hang up and try again.'


	3. Last place I thought you'd be

Milly and Ulrich were in a private room in the police station. Milly was crying uncontrollably as Ulrich tried to console her. She had bailed him out on the charges of wreckless driving and resisting arrest. When he was free, Ulrich told Milly about Yumi, three minutes later they were in the room. Sitting on two chairs with Milly mostly leaning on Ulrich for emotional support, a police officer walked in. He sat at the chair at the other end of the table and looked at Ulrich.

" When was she kidnaped?" The police officer asked.

" At about three?" Ulrich answered.

" Could you get a positive id on a suspect?" Ulrich shook his head as the officer continued with questions.

" You say you were pursuing the van that your daughter was placed into during the incident." Ulrich nodded, then waited. " Do you know of any motives of why?"

" No. We're not rich, we're not special or important in anyway. We're just a middle class family trying to make it." The officer wrote down his response.

" We cannot start a search until she had been missing for twenty four hours, so we'll need you.." The officer began before Milly interrupted.

" Twenty four hours! My daughter was taken! Taken for no reason. She's a little girl and people do.. Do horrible things to little girls!" Milly said still in tears.

" I'm sorry, it's just procedure."

" To hell with you and police procedure. I want to know where my daughter is. If she's alright, if she's even alive." Milly said, then broke out into a deeper crying. Ulrich hugged her tightly as she just cried on him.

" What about the van. You were after it for awhile, did you read the plates?"

" There were none."

" Is see," The officer said, trying to think of something to tell Milly. " I'm sure she's fine Mrs. Stern." That didn't help.

" Fine! You think she's fine! My eight year old was just snatched from a crowd, and shoved into a van. She's scared, alone, or worse. And you have th nerve to say she's fine. Fuck you!"

" Calm down."

" Will everyone stop telling me to calm down! I have a reason to not be calm! Why are you so calm!" Milly shouted at the officer.

" He's right Milly," Ulrich said to his scared wife. " It's better to think that's she's alright, than to think she isn't." Milly looked at Ulrich and saw the logic in what he was saying. Milly was just thinking the worst. It was a bad situation, but she was making it worse for herself. Milly sat back down and began to cry again.

Ulrich's phone rang a second later as Ulrich took it out of his pocket. Looking at who was calling he read, ' blocked call.' Answering it he asked, " Who is this?"

" Put it on speaker phone, I know where you are." Ulrich hit speaker as the man continued to speak. " I have your daughter. Let me insure you that she is unharmed, but whether or not she stays unharmed is up to you."

" What do you want. Money?" Ulrich asked.

" I'm talking not you," The man said. Ulrich stayed quiet as the man continued. " Now look. All I want is to play a little game. Win, you get your daughter, lose, well you get it." The police officer was writing down everything he said.

" What kind of game?"

" I thought you'd never ask. A game of hide and seek. I'm going to hide your daughter, then you have to find her." The man said.

" Where is she?" Ulrich asked angry.

" It's hide and seek, I can't spoil the fun," he said as if it was a game.

" You son of a bitch, just give me my daughter," Milly shouted into the phone.

" Just for that, she's no longer unharmed." Milly gasped and began to plead.

" No don't! I'm sorry!" They heard a door open then heard footsteps come toward the phone.

" Mommy! Daddy!" Yumi shouted from the other side of the phone. They heard a sound that sounded like a slap then her scream.

" Stop it!" Milly shouted in the phone. " Please don't hurt her!" Milly begged in tears.

" You have a week to find her. Here's a clue. It's a place where delusionals meet. They come here and greet, and kiss the feet of the delusion." The phone went dead as Ulrich the sound of no connection and pressed end.

" What the hell does that mean?" Ulrich asked. " Delusionals? Delusion. More mind games for me."

* * *

Ulrich and Milly slept at the police department so if the kidnapper called the police could try to trace the call. The phone didn't ring the entire night as Milly couldn't sleep. Ulrich didn't sleep either, they just lay on the couch in the lobby, trying to sleep. In the morning the police brought them some coffee and breakfast as they sat in the room again. Milly had to go to work, but didn't calling in. At first her boss didn't believe her, her excuse being her daughter had been kidnapped.

Ulrich was in the room alone when the case had been opened as a kidnaping and a missing person case. Sitting in the chair, Ulrich was waiting for the detective to walk in. The officer hadn't told him who was assigned to the case yet so Ulrich was about to meet the detective. Seeing two blurred figures through the foggy glass of the door window, he saw a man talking to a woman. The man walked away and the woman opened the door.

A beautiful blacked haired woman stepped into the room holding the case folder. Placing it on the table Ulrich looked at her, getting a better view. The woman was wearing a long black skirt and a white blouse that was buttoned up to the last three buttons, showing some cleavage. Her hair was pulled into a bun and she was wearing glass that looked a little misplaced, but gave her an almost sophisticatedly sexy appearance. Stepping into the room, Ulrich heard her high heels stepping as she looked over a few papers in the folder.

" I'd take it you're the detective for my case," Ulrich said to her. The woman nodded and walked over to him. " If you don't know already, I'm Ulrich Stern. The victims father." Ulrich stood up and shook her hand as nodded.

" I know your name. And yes, I'm the detective. Don't even think about it, I have a gun on my ankle." She said, as if she got that look Ulrich was giving her a lot. The look screamed, ' Damn your hot!' " I'm a french department of missing or lost people detective Delmas." Ms. Delmas let his hand go and took a seat at her chair. Ulrich looked at her closer then remembered.

" No way," Ulrich said to her. Ms. Delmas nodded. " Sissi?"

" I know. Last place you'd think to find me. Besides recently, how you been." She asked, knowing that recently he wasn't okay.

" Alright I guess. Still a little shook from the incident twenty five years ago, but other than that and my daughter, I'm fine." Sissi smiled at him. He was still a s cool as ever. For Ulrich is more than just that for Sissi. When he left jr high in France and went to high school in Germany he left thinking Sissi was an average looking girl who pestered everyone. Now look at her. A hot detective with a gun.

" Now we can catch up later. For now let's go over some stuff for this investigation." Ulrich nodded, wanting to proceed. " Kidnaped at school, placed into a black van without plates, and a confirmed kidnaping. Received one phone call from the kidnaper, giving you a riddle and a time limit. That's all we have. Perhaps a few witness from the school, teachers, students."

" I don't see why not. But the bastard hit her."

" I know. That's why we need to find her before all he does is make bruises. Did he ask for a ransom?"

" No. Just to play a little hide and seek. It's a game to him." Sissi nodded in agreement, apparently of had a few cases like this. " What is the chance of us getting her back. Don't lie and give me a bull shit stay calm answer. The truth. Will I get my daughter back." Sissi looked at him. She knew the facts, and they weren't good.

" In this country, last year every hour someone was kidnapped, and only three percent of those people were found alive. About eight thousand seven hundred people a year are kidnapped in France alone. About two hundred make it out of the situation alive. So to be honest Ulrich, it's slim to none." Ulrich lowered his head. " I'm sorry, it's just how it is. The man is violent we know that. He doesn't want money so he has nothing to lose. But what we have to do is solve the riddle and go from there." Ulrich nodded. " How about we discus it over coffee."

* * *

Ulrich alone met Sissi at a café down town where she was already waiting for him. Already buying him coffee he sat down as Sissi took her glasses off. " Do you even need those?" Ulrich asked, the Sissi he remembered not needed glasses.

" Not really no. I spend a lot of my work at a computer desk, they help so that I don't damage my eyes from long shifts of typing." Sissi answered, taking a sip of her coffee.

" I have a pair of those. They really do help."

" Something's bugging me. I mean, Milly Solovieff. Who saw that one coming. You two even went to high school in separate countries." Ulrich shook his head, expecting that question.

" My high school reunion in Germany I was just sitting around drinking. I was tired of everyone giving me bs post high school stories so I sit alone in the back. I order a drink and one of the caterers for the party brings it to me. She starts walking away, then turned around and looks at me again. I look at her, she looks at me. Then she asks me, ' Are you Ulrich Stern?' Which is funny because I was wearing a name tag." Sissi giggled from that lack of examination. " It was Milly."

" I read she didn't go to college, decided to work." It was standard to read her record to help find a motive.

" Yep. Ended up catering at my party. Before I knew I, I took her to my hotel room and.."

" I get it." Sissi said, not wanting to here the details. Ulrich smiled at her not wanting to know.

" You been married?" Sissi shook her head. " You, never married?"

" I've been engaged twice, then they met my father and got pissed scared." Ulrich laughed as she continued, " I'm not joking." Ulrich stopped laughing, her not wanting to talk about it. "No man has ever been able to survive my father's wrath. He asks them penetrating questions like, have you penetrated my daughter?"

" That'll make one head for the hills."

" Worked every time. Well he moved so if I do take another shot at it, I won't tell him."

" Good call."

" Mind if I ask how Milly is as a wife?" Ulrich thought for a good answer.

" She's good. We rarely argue, we share the house work, she's a great mother, and good in bed I might add." Sissi smiled and shook her head.

* * *

After another ten minutes of conversation they took their coffee and left to the police department. Ulrich and Sissi sat in her office trying to figure out the message the bad guy left.

" Where the delusionals meet, they come here and greet, and kiss the feet of the delusion." Sissi said aloud, hoping saying it would help. " Delusion, delusion. Overconfident people, movie stars, models, delusionals. Mental institute...no that doesn't fit the delusion."

" You should take a break." Ulrich said to Sissi who had been figuring it out for two hours. Looking at his watch he said, " I'm going to bed. Will I ever be allowed to go home and sleep?"

" If we have confirmed information that all he wants is your daughter and to screw with your minds then yes. For now you and Milly need to stay here guarded." Ulrich nodded and understood it was for his safety. " Night Ulrich."

" Thanks, but I doubt I'd be able to sleep." Sissi stood up off her chair and walked over to him.

" It's hard I understand. But try to get some sleep. I know what your going through." Ulrich looked at her a little angry after he last comment.

" You know? You don't know a damn thing about what the hell I'm going through Sissi. I had my daughter snatched from a crowd, shoved into a van screaming for me to hep her. I had to watch that. I now I have to try not to think about what the hell that bastard is doing to her. So don't you dare say you know what I'm going through." Sissi looked at him. She looked angry, and a little sad. Ulrich wasn't sure why.

" Just because I was never married Ulrich," Sissi said, looking him in the eye. " Doesn't mean I was never a mother." She left her office and slammed the door behind her.


	4. Don't try it

The next morning Ulrich woke up with Yumi screaming in his mind. " Daddy!" Everything that had been haunting him for days and years had haunted his dreams last night. Not only did he hear his daughters voice. He heard hers as well.

" Ulrich," she said weakly before she died. Then the loud scream of his eight year old. " Daddy!" Ulrich violently woke up, sweat beating down his face. Breathing deep he lay up from the bed the police had placed him and Milly on and he left the room.

Looking at his watch he saw that it was about seven in the morning. Scratching the back of his head and walking into the police showers he took one and got dressed with the clothes the police had picked up from their home. Walking through a few offices he was trying to find Sissi's so he could apologize for last night, and try to get a few questions answered. What she said to him last night made him go to bed with a lot on his mind. ' Just because I was never married Ulrich, doesn't mean I was never a mother.' It meant to him she had a kid or two.

Finding her office that was open he stepped in and found it empty. Looking around he saw that it wasn't any different from last night, paper work in need of filing and no one to do it. Sitting on her chair he spun her chair around and saw something reflecting from in her desk drawr. Opening it he found a framed picture that seemed to be fairly old.

It showed a cute picture of a woman with a little girl, the little girl looking exactly like the women. Mother and daughter. The woman seemed young, early twenties. They were both laughing and smiling, loving life because they had each other. Looking closer, he saw that the woman, was Sissi.

" See something you like?" Sissi's voice asked from the door.

Ulrich placed the picture in the desk and spun the chair around. Sissi was carrying a brown paper bag when she walked in with black high heels, a long black skirt and blue blouse covered by a black jacket.

" Morning." Ulrich said to her politely.

" Does anyone say good morning anymore. Oh yeah, no one likes morning." Ulrich chuckled and stood up so Sissi could have her chair. Opening the brown bag she pulled out two coffee cups and placed them on her desk. " Black right?" She asked, remembering how he liked his coffee. Ulrich nodded and took his coffee.

" About last night.." Ulrich began before Sissi interrupted.

" Don't worry about it. Just brought back memories that I don't like. I'm calm now."

" Still. What happened after we separated in jr. high?" Sissi took a breath, trying to run the words.

" I went to high school, I was fairly popular and still a bitch then, especially with you gone." Ulrich smiled. She was still Sissi. " Not only was I a bitch, I was a little bit of a slut. At my graduation party, I found out some pretty bad news."

" You were pregnant." Ulrich answered. Sissi nodded and continued.

" Yes I was. About a month. At the party I noticed I was late so checked. I told my boyfriend and he skipped town. You always said Theo was a bastard."

" Theo was the father." Sissi nodded again.

" I had a DNA test after the baby was born. I was thinking about abortion, but I hate hypocrites so didn't want to one. I had attended a rally against abortions a month before. I had it, took night school to get through college."

" How old is he now?" Ulrich asked.

" She. Denise. Dee Dee." Sissi said thinking about her. " She's twenty."

" College?"

" Wouldn't know." Sissi answered truthfully.

" What happened that makes you not know?" Sissi suddenly had a painful expression on her face. " Never mind." Ulrich began to walk out of her office before Sissi stopped him.

" She was four," Sissi began. " When it happened. I was walking her down the street toward her favorite park. She loved the slide there." Ulrich turned around and listened, Sissi's voice getting tense.

" I put her on the swing and sat on the bench and watched her. It was a fairly large park, a lot of swings, a lot of people. Lots of kids running around, making mischief and friends." Sissi began to cry as she kept talking. "A woman began to talk to me and I looked away from her. I told her Denise was mine and pointed at the empty swing where she used to be." Ulrich watched her begin to cry deeper. " I never saw her again."

Ulrich looked at Sissi. He had never seen her, or anyone so emotional. Tears covered her blouse as Ulrich crossed to room and crouched next to her. " I'm sorry for bringing it up." Sissi wrapped her arms around him and began to cry on him. Ulrich just let her cry it out. " Did you ever find out what happened to her."

" No. I didn't get a ransom, or something the bastard wanted me to do. All I got was a phone call. One fucking phone call." Sissi looked at Ulrich. " I took this case for one reason."

" Me." Ulrich asked. Sissi shook her head.

" Because I think the man who took Yumi, is the same one who took Denise." Ulrich looked at her curiously. " I can't be sure, but I could never forgot his voice. That cold voice with no remorse or guilt. Then he gave me a riddle. I didn't solve it in the week period he gave me."

" Are there any other cases that are like ours?" Sissi nodded.

" A few dozen over the last two decades. The department calls him the one week kidnapper. He has reported to have kidnaped over thirty children between four and ten. Not one of his riddles were solved. Not one."

" This is why you joined the department of missing or kidnapped people. You want to find him to find her. Or to at least find out what happened to her." Sissi nodded. " I understand now."

" You don't know what I'd do to hold her in my arms again. To hug her, to kiss her, to know she was still alive." Ulrich wiped the tears that had covered her face away.

" I do Sissi." Sissi remembering her child wasn't the only one taken nodded.

" Then I'll do anything to find her for you."

" I know you will."

* * *

The next hour they called in a few teachers from the school as well as a few students who saw the events. No one really saw what had happened because of the panic with the gun shot so they had no leads to follow. The last person who came in was a mother of one of the students. The man who had grabbed Yumi wasn't wearing a mask. The woman described him as a tall white man with short black hair, brown eyes, no facial hair, but built well. Giving finer details they made a sketch of the man that they ran through the computer.

The test came up negative for any french citizen and they dropped the search and called a few numbers requesting permission to do a registered search for immigrants into France. A few dozen people turned up on the screen and they went to work from their.

Ulrich and Sissi left to find the people to talk to them personally. Arriving at the first house, they checked the garage for anything that could be incriminating. Going down the list of thirty people they went through ten in three days. They had three days left to solve the riddle. The next two days were spent finding the last twenty. They came to number twenty seven on the list on went to his home residence.

Sissi pulled into the five story apartment building and stepped out of the car. Looking at the address written on a sheet of paper she checked with the building and closed her door. They moved through the parking lot where Ulrich stopped to look at a brown van in the parking lot.

" What?" Sissi asked as Ulrich stared at it like it was familiar. It had plates, it was brown, and yet he felt like he'd seen it before.

" Nothing, you go ahead, I'll stay here." Sissi just shruggedand kept moving toward the door of the building. Ulrich walked toward the van and examined it closely as Sissi entered the building. Taking the elevator up Sissi stepped onto the fifth and final floor and proceed down the hall till she reached the mans door.

Knocking she heard a man say, " Who is it?"

" Police." She heard foot steps walk toward her door then the door being unlocked. A moment later the door opened and a man wearing a white t- shirt, jeans and bed head the door. " Mr. Delzel I presume." Mr. Delzel nodded and looked Sissi up and down. " Can I ask you a few questions?"

" For you, anything. Come in." Sissi stepped into the mans apartment and took a seat at his table.

" Do you live alone?" Sissi asked.

" Yeah. I was never into the whole roommate, girl friend move in before marriage bs. Want something to drink?" The man asked being polite.

" No thank you. For a man who lives alone, your apartment is pretty clean." Sissi said, noticing the dishes were washed, laundry didn't litter the floor, and no cups or empty beer cans were on the coffee table.

" I like a clean place to come home to," Mr. Delzel said, pouring himself a cup of coffee. Sitting at the table he asked, " What are the questions you need to ask me?"

" Where were you on the seventh this month between two to four pm?" Sissi asked.

" I'm a high school teacher. I was grading papers all afternoon."

" What type of car do you drive?"

" I drive the brown van down stairs. You saw it coming in right?" Sissi nodded and wrote that down. Noticing his pupils didn't change during the questions, his heart rate and breathing seemed normal from what she could see, she could tell he wasn't lying, or if he was, he was good at it. All of the info he had on her was fitting. Teacher, van, it all worked. After ten minutes Sissi left the apartment and boarded the elevator.

* * *

Ulrich examined the van carefully running his fingers by it's side. The side door, made a few memories slip into his mind. ' Daddy!' he heard echo in his mind. ' The doors of the van closing at the incident. Seeing her scared eyes before they vanished behind the black door.' Pushing his fingers a little harder as he walked by and then just looked at it.

" Not him." Said Sissi walking over to him. Ulrich held his forehead with his hand and then looked at her. " What's on your face?"

Ulrich looked in the side view mirror of the van, and at first he saw cold blue eyes, but shook it off. Just a memory. He saw he had something on his forehead. Brown paint. Looking at his hand he saw that paint was on it. Rubbing against the car, he noticed it didn't rub off. Taking his keys he scratched at he vans side. " Ulrich stop, what're you doing?" Ulrich looked underneath the paint, and saw black. " Black."

" It's him." Ulrich said trying to pull the door open. It was locked. " Dammit." Sissi pulled the gun from her ankle and shot the door handle. " Jeez!" Ulrich said jumping back, Sissi not warning him. Sissi pulled the door open and looked inside. Hand cuffs, restraints, and several other items were in the van.

" It's the same van." Sissi looked to te fifth floor.

" Son of a bitch. Come on." Sissi and Ulrich ran back into the building and took the elevator back to the fifth floor. Running into the hall Sissi pounded on the door again. " Mr. Delzel answer your door!" Sissi shouted to him. She heard several things stirring in the apartment. Placing her ear to the door she heard an interested sound. A shotgun pumping.

" Shit!" Sissi tackled Ulrich to the floor as a shotgun was fired through the door. " Drop your weapon!" Sissi shouted. Mr. Delzel walked out with the shotgun aimed down at Sissi and Ulrich. " Drop it." Sissi said, her gun up.

Mr. Delzel pulled the trigger and the gun jammed. Sissi moved in, the elevator behind her. Knowing a cop couldn't shoot him he ran down the hall and toward the stairwell. Sissi ran after him as Ulrich got to his feet and followed. Busting through the door Delzel tried to open the down stairs door that was locked so began to run up stairs as Sissi broke through the door. " Stop!" Sissi shouted him. He kept moving as Sissi and Ulrich followed him.

Opening onto the roof he turned left and saw the edge, so ran right. Sissi opened onto the roof and followed him. Delzel reached the other edge and looked down. Sissi had the gun aimed up as she stopped twenty feet away.

" Nowhere to go Delzel, surrender, go easy be smart about this." Looking off the edge he saw that the next building over might be close enough to jump to. Taking a running start he looked at the edge, and so did Sissi.

" Don't try it." Not listening Delzel ran to the edge and jumped as far as he could to the other side. His finger tips catching the side of the edge, he began to pull himself up as the gutter began to break.

The gutter broke as he swung over and lost some grip sliding down several feet. " Hold on!" Sissi shouted to him. He was to far away to help. The gutter snapped as he swung again and lost even more grip, and slid another three feet. Sweat was pouring down his face as he tried to hold on. Looking up at the screw that was holding it together, he saw it slipping from the wall. Trying to climb before it broke he got a foot before closed Sissi her eyes, not wanting to see his body splatter on the pavement.


	5. Reading the fine print

Detective Delmas was sitting in her Sargent's office getting chewed out for what had just happened. She had let a lead suspect die, not just for one case, but for thirty cases over the last twenty years. That one man could have lead to the location or the condition of over thirty missing children. And she had let him jump off a building as the Sargent said. Sissi was trying to explain the events that took place, to try to make it seem like it wasn't entirely her fault.

" The suspect fired a shotgun at me," Sissi said to her commanding officer.

" He probably thought you were breaking into his house."

" I had already spoken to him, he knew I was a cop. He tried to kill me."

" So then you throw him off a roof, and completely shatter any working suspect who could end a twenty year case."

" He jumped off, attempting to get to building across from it. The gutter broke he fell, nothing I could of done." Sissi said to him, the truth was out there, now he had to believe her.

" You could of pulled him up." The Sargent said.

" I was fifteen feet away from him, with a five story gap between us." Sissi said with a little irritation in her voice.

" Either way the story flows, the suspect dies, and you were there. Your off this case." The Sargent said about to stand up.

" You can't kick me off my own case."

" I just did."

" Hell no. I've been after this guy since I joined the department.." Sissi said to him before being interrupted.

" Exactly. Your mentally unstable. I know you wish you could have your daughter back, but face it Delmas, she's dead."

" She isn't dead!" Sissi shouted at him. The Sargent lowered his head, making his point.

" Give me your badge." Sissi looked at him, " Your not mentally capable of doing this case. Give me your badge and your gun. Your suspended till you have a doctor who will say your fine." Sissi sighed and reached into her back pocket and placed her badge on the desk. Pulling up her pant leg she took her gun from its case, then took off the case and left the office.

Sissi walked out of the office and to her desk, beginning to pack it into a small rectangular cardboard box. Throwing her phone in, her pens, pencils, notes from the one week kidnapper. She carelessly threw it all in. Opening one of her desk drawers she took it off and hung it upside down over the box, most of the contents spilling over the side. Taking her second drawer she carefully took the framed picture of her and Dee Dee and placed that in her purse rather than the box.

Ulrich looked in from her door as she turned around and looked him. " I'm suspended, the department is moving your case to someone else." Sissi carried the box and walked past him as Ulrich followed her.

" It wasn't your fault Sissi," Ulrich said to her. Sissi stopped then looked back at him.

" I know that, but they don't give a rats ass, all they care about is dumping this death on someone and they chose me." Sissi continued through the police department and was about to board the elevator before a male police officer stopped in front of her.

" Heard you threw a guy off a roof. I knew that you were crazy." This man had glasses over his eyes, the light reflected off, making it impossible to see his eye color. Sissi dropped the box and then punched him in the face, the man hit the wall as Sissi swung again, her fist connecting with his jaw. The man swung back but Sissi ducked down then high kicked him in the chin. The Sargent saw what had happened then looked at Sissi.

" Have a good day," he said before he stepped over the officers body, no one in the department liking that man. Sissi picked up her box and walked in the elevator with Ulrich.

" You can still help me."

" No I can't. Part of my suspension states that I can't go near you or Milly. I can't touch, look at, or go near anything that involves this case." The doors closed as Sissi pressed ground level, them being on the tenth floor. " So it means I'm going against my suspension just by talking to you."

" There's only a day left to solve the riddle. You've been on this for awhile, you're more helpful than any person they could bring in." Sissi smiled then looked at him.

" Thanks. But I already let someone die, and to be completely honest, I'm not even supposed to have a gun."

" Never a rule person were you." Sissi shook her head, a moment later the doors opened and Sissi stepped off. " Wait, here's my cell incase you figure anything else out." Ulrich said, beginning to write his number on a sheet of paper. He handed it to Sissi who nodded, the doors closing separating the two.

* * *

Ulrich stepped into the room were Milly was with the new detective on the case, who was sadly the man Sissi beat up. His nose had a bloody wad of paper in it, as he swallowed some aspirin. Ulrich took a seat next to Milly as the man began to go over stuff they already knew, but nothing new. This guy wasn't any help at all. The man left Milly and Ulrich alone after fifteen minutes.

Ulrich looked to Milly and said, " We'll never find her in time with captain numb nuts on the case. We need to get someone we know can help."

" Do you know any geniuses?" Milly asked. Ulrich thought, then realized he did.

" Only three."

* * *

Aelita Stones opened the taxi cab and stepped up the stairs leading to the police department. A few officers were walking out the door so held it open to this beautiful women who had just graced them with her presence. Looking around the room she saw a bulletin board and read it.

Seeing where she needed to go was on the tenth floor she walked to the desk and said, " Excuse me, I have to go to the tenth floor."

" Do you have clearance?" The officer asked.

" I was called in to answer a few questions."

" Aelita Stones?" The man asked, reading her name on a list in front of him. Aelita nodded. " Can I see some ID?" Aelita showed him and the officer pointing her toward the elevator. Behind her a man was just checking in. Stepping in the elevator, she hit ten and waited.

" Hold the elevator!" A man shouted. Aelita grabbed the door as it bounced back open and a black haired man stepped in. " Thanks.. Aelita." The man was in his early fifties, was tall, hansom, well built and had an interesting eye characteristic. His eyes were different colors, one blue, one green.

" Zack." Aelita said, hugging the man. " Long time huh."

" Only fifteen years. Heard you and Jeremie got divorced." Zack said to her, the doors closing.

" Yeah. Good thing we didn't have kids. How's the family?"

" Peter graduated last year, and Bobby just started jr high. At Kadic. Kimi just started elementary, And Sharon is just fine, same old same old."

" Nice to see your marriage is better than mine was. Jeremie could never agree with anything."

" Well your not married anymore, so don't complain." The doors opened and the two left the elevator and proceeded to where they needed to be. ' Third room on the left.' Ulrich had instructed.' They both entered the room to see Ulrich, Milly and Jeremie.

" Good timing," Ulrich said to them as they shut the door and had a seat. " As you all know, our daughter has been kidnapped. The kidnapper gave us a riddle, and the answer to the riddle, is where we find her. So we've called you, the geniuses, to help us." The three nodded.

" What's the riddle?" Zack asked, wanting this to get underway.

" It's where delusionals meet. They come here and greet, and kiss the feet of the delusion."

For the next several hours they pondered, offered theories that were proved not to fit. Hours pass, midnight came, and at ten in the morning everyone was tired. " Come on come on. What the hell is it." Aelita looked at her watch.

" I'm sorry, I missed churched."

" Church isn't important Aelita." Jeremie said to her.

" Sorry for being religious and having faith Mr. Atheist."

" Your delusional for thinking something you can't see, or touch is real. It's pointless to think a delusion like god exist."

" Whatever Jeremie." Aelita said back to him. During the midst of their divorced couple argument, Ulrich had heard the answer.

" It's a church." Ulrich said to everyone. Everyone looked back at him. " It's a god damn church." Ulrich got to his feet, knowing of only one church in the city. " You two need to argue more often." Ulrich grabbed his coat and Milly's hand and ran out of the room. The others followed.

* * *

Ulrich's car pulled in front of the city's Catholic church, the only church in the city. Running up the stairs he ran through a few people and into the man hall.

" Yumi!" He shouted, his voice echoing off the walls. Looking around he walked down the aisle, looking up and down trying to find his daughter. " Yumi!" He shouted again.

" Yumi!" Milly shouted as well. " Mommy's here, where are you sweety."

" Mommy!"

" YUMI!" Milly and Ulrich shouted at the same time and ran for the source of her voice. They ran up a flight of stairs following her voice.

" Daddy! Mommy!" The followed her voice till they came to a door that was locked. " Get me out of here!"

" Hold on honey," Ulrich said before kicking the door open. They ran into the room as Ulrich didn't see his daughter. All heard was a tape recorder.

" Mommy! Daddy, help!" Ulrich kicked the tape recorder across the room.

" Where is she!" Ulrich shouted to no one in particular. Looked around the room and saw an envelope nailed to the wall. Walking over her ripped the envelope off and opened it, a picture of his daughter bound and screaming inside. Milly saw the picture from over his shoulder and began to cry.

" Ulrich, Milly!" Jeremie, Aelita and Zack shouted from within the church. Inside the envelope was also a note.

The note said,_ " You came this far, good for you now stand in the center of the room. Face the direction of the rising sun, take a step and you are done." _Ulrich handed the note to Milly who read it and nodded.

" I'll do it." Milly found the center of the room easy, it was marked with a black square painted on the brown wood tile floor. " Where's east." Ulrich looked around the room, and saw that was labeled on the walls. The letters E, W, S, N were painted on the walls. Milly faced east, and took a step. Her foot sunk into the tile as a small slit in the wall open. It happened so fast, she was on the ground before she knew it. An arrow fired out of the wall and stabbed her center chest.

" Milly!" Ulrich caught her before her back hit the ground. Blood was leaking down her body as Ulrich held her. She coughed up blood as she tried to breathe.

" Ulrich," Milly said weakly, her voiced strained and hushed. " Find her." he said to him. " And remember, I lo..lo." She tried to say before she died. Ulrich looked down at her, and saw Yumi before she died.

' The poison was injected an hour ago.' Ulrich remembered what William had said to him. William Dunbar had killed her, and before she died, she tried to tell Ulrich that she loved him. Milly died the same way, telling him something. Everyone Ulrich loved was dying around him, in his arms.

Jeremie Aelita and Zack ran into the room and saw Milly with the arrow sticking out of her chest. Aelita gasped, placing her hands over her mouth she placed her face on Jeremie's shoulder so she didn't have to look. Jeremie held the back of her head, then looked away himself. Ulrich closed Milly's still open eyes then stood up with her blood on his clothing and his hands. Ulrich looked at the wall that the arrow shot out of.

Looking through the slit he saw a tube the arrow was placed in, and he also saw a button. Swallowing hard he pressed the button then took a step back as the wall began to slid open. Behind the wall was a secret room that was filled with toys, a bed, and a vent for air. The room seemed soundproof, and was empty, Yumi wasn't here. Ulrich lost it.

" Where the fuck is she?" He shouted loud stepping into the room. His cell phone rang as he picked it up and looked at who was calling. ' Blocked call.' He answered it and shouted, " Where is she?"

" Your too late, the dead line ended yesterday." The man with the cold voice said to him.

" No it didn't, it ends in six hours."

" No, it ended eighteen hours ago. You must've not of been counting the day I called as a day. That day counts. The game isn't over though."

" What game? This isn't a game you bastard! Where's my daughter, why did you kill my wife!"

" It may not be a game to you, but I'm having the time of my life. You're a challenge, you solved the riddle. No one ever has. The clues are still all around, just need to find them." The phone hung up as Ulrich looked at it.

" Don't you fucking hang up on me!" Looking in the room he saw a camera with a flashing red light, then threw his phone at it. The man watching on the other end laughed at his anger, the camera feed dying.

Ulrich began to cry as he stepped out of the room and stepped on the note that led Milly to her death. He saw that there was writing on the back, and read it.

" _If you ducked your in luck, if not your fucked."_


	6. Hope

It rained the day of Milly's funeral. Her friends, family, and husband were gathered around her casket as a priest began to read lines from a bible. Umbrellas were over everyone's head, except for Ulrich's. He was the only one who wasn't seated either. The rain water dripped off his hair and chin as he watched the casket being lowered into it's grave. It ended as everyone left the ground, throwing in a rose as they walked by, then looking at Ulrich sadly. Ulrich stood their for a few minutes before taking out a note and throwing it into onto the casket.

' I'll find her.' was written on the note.

* * *

**One Year later...**

A year passed with no phone calls, no clues, nothing. The police monitored phone calls, and anything else they could to find the one week kidnapper. After eleven months, another child was reported kidnapped, by the same man. In the one week kidnapper file it states that when he takes another child, he kills the last one. So Yumi Stern was pronounced dead on her ninth birthday.

At the funeral, they didn't have a body to place in a casket, so they filled it with her possessions. Clothes, toys, pictures, things that she liked, then buried them. Ulrich asked to have the graves next to each other, so when he visited, he did it two at a time. Then Ulrich realized something. He couldn't believe she was dead. Something told him she was alive. So he began to search on his own.

* * *

Walking through the cemetery alone Ulrich had placed flowers on is wife's and daughter's graves. Stopping at his car he looked back then sat in the drivers seat. Starting the car he drove home. The police had finally allowed him to go home. The search for Yumi was over, and it didn't seem he was going to kill Ulrich. He wanted to toy with him. Thirty minutes later he pulled into his driveway and locked his car.

Opening his front door with the key he threw the keys on the plant table and walked into the kitchen. Opening the fridge he took out a beer, then was thinking about drinking it. Taking the rest of the beers of the fridge he poured them down the drain. If he was going to think of how to find his daughter, he needed to be sober. Getting some water he sat down and began to think.

His phone began to vibrate as he looked at it. The call was from Milly's cell. Looking at his phone he slowly pressed answer and placed the phone to his ear.

" Hello?"

"..."

" Hello?" The phone went dead as he looked at it. Calling the police he asked if Milly's phone was still there for evidence. It wasn't. It was gone. After he hung up his phone, it rang again. It was Milly's cell again. " Who is this?"

"..."

" Stop messing with me. Where did you get my wife's phone?"

" Her body," The man with the cold voice said, before he hung up. Ulrich called it back and received no answer. Ulrich called the police, so they could trace her calls, and possibly her killer. Placing the phone on the table he took a sip of the water before his door bell rang. Looking around the kitchen he grabbed a knife and made for the door slowly. It knocked twice then the door bell went off.

Ulrich looked through the eye slot, then placed the knife on the plant table in the hall. He opened the door and looked at Sissi.

" What are you doing here?" Ulrich asked her. Sissi looked at him for a few seconds, then Ulrich let her in. They walked to the kitchen and Ulrich sat back on his chair. " What?"

" I'm here to say I'm sorry." Sissi said simply. She hadn't seen him since that day a year ago. Her suspension wouldn't allow it.

" That's it," Ulrich asked her. Sissi sighed then sat next to him.

" Also to tell you, that I'll help you."

" Your suspended. Your going against that just by talking to me," Ulrich said to her, taking another drink of his water, finishing it.

" I'm not suspended anymore. I'm not even a detective anymore." Ulrich looked at her. " I quit."

" Why. You've been after this guy for sixteen years."

" Exactly. I can't chase him as a cop, but as a civilian, I can. So now I'm a beautiful female civilian, helping a handsome male civilian, kill another civilian." Ulrich smiled then looked at her.

" Thank you. Where do we start?" Ulrich asked, walking over to the fridge and getting himself something else to drink. He gave Sissi a glass then sat next to her again.

" With this," Sissi said placing a plastic bag on the table with an arrow in it. It was the same one that hit Milly. Ulrich looked at it shaky, Sissi noticed and placed her hand on Ulrich's shoulder. " It's all we have."

" Not all. He has her phone." Ulrich said to her, telling her about the phone call he received from Milly's phone.

" He won't call back. He's smart." Ulrich nodded, knowing that wasn't going to happen. Sissi took the arrow out of the bag and looked at it. " No fingerprints on it. No symbols, nothing. Just a regular arrow." The arrow had a sharp metal tip and a metal frame. The tail was also metal. It was a six inch long metal arrow simply put.

Ulrich picked it up and looked at it. The one week kidnapper said the clues were all around him, he just had to find them. " Maybe the arrow is a clue." Ulrich said to her.

" It can't be. It was just a trap." Sissi said to him, taking the arrow back. Ulrich grabbed it and looked at it again. " It isn't a clue." Sissi said to him pulling it back, not wanting him to damage it, but Ulrich held it firm. The tip of the arrow slid off after ten seconds of pulling, making Sissi's seat fall back. Sissi hit the ground as Ulrich kept his balance. Ulrich looked in the hollow tube of the arrow and saw something in side. Pulling it out, he saw that it was a note.

" It was a clue." he said before helping Sissi to her feet. Ulrich unrolled the note and looked at it. _' If you have this, you are smart. For your daughter you have a heart, to get her back to save the day, here's a clue to get you on your way. Go to the ending of the first beginning, the first loss will rise again.'_ Ulrich handed the note to Sissi and began to think.

" What the hell does that mean?"

" He's a riddle person. Most kidnappers for jollies are. The only difference is, he's good at it. He's had practice." Sissi said, taking a drink of what Ulrich gave her.

* * *

For a few days they pondered on this riddle. They gave it to Aelita, Zack, and Jeremie as well to see if they could help. No one got it. It was hard to even think about what he was asking them. He wanted them to go somewhere that was made clear. Where did this first begin though. It first began at the school were she was kidnapped. But what was the first loss. One day, Ulrich coincidently got his answer.

* * *

Ulrich was driving an hour out of his way to drop flowers off on Yumi Ishiyama's grave. He hadn't done so in awhile and was going to apologize for not doing so. Sissi decided to tag along, just incase she could of been needed. Plus she hadn't paid her respects to Yumi in twenty six years. Ulrich stopped the car at the cemetery that was close to Yumi's childhood home. Ulrich knew exactly where her grave was, and saw a man standing next to it, dropping flowers off as well. The man turned around and saw Ulrich walking over.

The man was Japanese and was just shorter than Ulrich. His hair was longer because he was a few years younger. He was wearing a black trench coat that reached his mid shins. Everything one him was short, and scrawny. Ulrich walked past him and placed flowers on Yumi's grave as well.

The man looked offended and said, " Who the hell are you?"

" It's been twenty six years Hiroki and you don't recognize me?" Ulrich asked him. Hiroki Ishiyama looked at Ulrich. He knew who he was now.

" Ulrich. Holy shit it's been a long time. How you been?"

" Good," He lied. " Just saying hi. I'd guess you were too."

" I was. I need to. Great to see you."

" You too," Ulrich said while pushing off the dirt to get to his feet. He noticed something about the dirt around the grave. It was soft. He felt the ground further around the grave, hard. " Wait," Ulrich said to Hiroki. Hiroki stopped then turned around. " The soils been shifted."

" What?"

" Someone's dug this up." Ulrich said to everyone. Thinking of something he pulled the sheet of paper out of his pocket and looked at it. ' _The first loss will rise again.' _" He was talking about Yumi." Ulrich said to Sissi. "That's where the clue is, in her casket." Sissi walked over and felt the dirt herself.

" I'll call the police so they can dig it up."

" Whoa!" Hiroki shouted at them, " Hell no. Your not digging my sister up!"

" Hiroki, I have to." Ulrich said to him.

" No bullshit."

" It might lead me to my daughter," Ulrich said to him. Hiroki still didn't care.

" No."

" Ulrich, we'll just get the police, tell them, and we can get this underway," Sissi said to Ulrich as she began to dial the number of her old Sargent. " Sir, it's Delmas. I have a lead."

* * *

Mr and Mrs. Ishiyama were called to get permission to dig up their daughters grave. At first they weren't going to allow it. Till they were told that it could help with a missing children's case. They're daughter was kidnapped and killed, so they wanted to help a case like that. They allowed it to happen and the next day Yumi Ishiyama's grave was dug up. They took the casket to the police department autopsy room and were about to open the casket.

Everyone in the room nodded to each other and were expecting to see a body of a decayed fifteen year old girl. Ulrich was in the room as they all looked at him. Ulrich thought for a few moments, then nodded. They unlocked the hinges and pulled it open. What they found wasn't what they expected. Yumi's body was missing, and another replaced it.

It was the body of a little girl. Younger than Yumi Stern, maybe five she looked like. They were half expecting her to be dead, before she opened her eyes.

" She's alive," A female police officer said to everyone in the room. They rushed the little girl to a hospital were her worried to death parents meet her. She'd been gone for two weeks, the latest victim of the one week kidnapper.

* * *

Ulrich and Sissi walked through the halls of the hospital where they were going to ask the little girl a few questions. She was the first one to ever come back alive or to ever be seen again. Her name was Carol Peters, the daughter of two middle class people happily married trying to make it. Two people who didn't deserve this. Turning the corner they continued till they walked into the children's wing of the hospital. Looking through the door Ulrich saw Carol in her bed listening to her parents talk to her, telling her how much they missed her, how much they were worried, and how they'll never take their eyes off her ever again.

Carol's father looked over his shoulder and saw Ulrich and Sissi. " Are you two police officers?" Sissi nodded, though she wasn't anymore.

" I am," Sissi said to him. " My friend here isn't. He's the one who found her." The man stood up of his chair and reached to shake Ulrich's hand. Ulrich shook his hand.

" Thank you," Mr. Peters said to him, " You have no idea what I would've done without her."

" Believe me, I do." Mr. Peters looked at him. " My daughter was also kidnapped, by the same guy no less. Your lucky, I never got mine back."

" I'm sorry."

" But I need to ask her a few questions to see if I still can." Mr. Peters nodded then let Ulrich sit down. When he did Mrs. Peter hugged him in gratitude. " How you doing Carol?"

" Okay I guess," she said still a little confused and scared about the whole event. " Just happy to have my mommy and daddy back."

" I'd be too. Now how long where you in the casket for?" Ulrich asked her.

" A day I think. I had my watch with me. He put something in there so I wouldn't run out of air."

" Did you get a good look at his face while he had you?" Carol shook her head.

" He wore a mask the entire time. But he had a scary voice and mean eyes. Blue eyes." Carol said to him, shaky from just thinking about him. " But I wasn't alone."

"Who was with you?" Ulrich quickly.

" A few other girls. Some had been there for a long time. Some years."

" How many others?" Sissi asked her.

" I think four. One was about seven she said, blonde hair, cute face, glasses. The other was much older. She said she'd been there for a very long time. Now that I think about her, she looked like you." Carol said looking at Sissi.

"Was her name Denise?" Sissi asked.

" No," Sissi let out a sad sigh ' dammit.' " It was Dee Dee." Sissi lost her voice from hearing her name.

"She's alive," Sissi mumbled.

" Who else? The other two?" Ulrich asked her desperately.

" A girl my age. Brown hair, not as cute as Katie the blonde, but still cute. And the last one was the nicest of them all, but also the saddest. She told me he mommy was killed by the blue eyed man. She had red hair and her name..." Ulrich red hair and was already praying to hear a name to match it. " ...was Yumi."


	7. Watch and wait for the fun

Ulrich and Sissi left the hospital after talking to Carol for a bit longer. They managed to get the clue that the one week kidnapper gave the Peters to see if that could help them. Ulrich opened the note when he got home so he could think about the riddle in a comfortable area. Sissi sat across the table from him as Ulrich opened it and read the note to himself.

" _To see this clue light wont help, darkness will confuse, and both will fail. Instead go with another approach, go with light with the darkness of hell." _Ulrich read it twice then handed it to Sissi as he began to think.

" Go with light with hell. That's not confusing," Sissi said to Ulrich. " We can't see anything with the light, let's turn them off." Ulrich nodded then turned of the kitchen light then shut the blinds. Walking back to the table the note hadn't changed. Sissi flipped it over and read, _" Told you darkness will confuse,"_ In a green glow in the dark ink. " He's sarcastic too."

" Light from hell." Ulrich said. " Dark light?" Ulrich said aloud. Ulrich and Sissi both got it a second later.

" Black light," They both said at the same time.

" Do you have a black light?" Sissi asked Ulrich.

" Probably in the attic," Ulrich said, thinking about the old box from college. He had a black light in the dorm room then, and maybe it was still in the box. Ulrich walked into the hallway of the upstairs and opened the door to the attic. Not in the mood to find his ladder he moved a dresser under the hole and climbed up.

The attic was full of boxes and other furniture items. A large mirror was resting on an old couch, that was covered by a white sheet. Carefully treading across the floor he made his way, checking every box in the attic for the right label. Placing a box in the ground he heard Sissi climb up and keep looking.

" Pretty dusty." She said to him, looking at how much had built up.

" Haven't been up here since we moved in," Ulrich said, dropping another box to the floor then sliding it across the room. " Look for a box that's labeled 'college stuff.'"

" How would I know if it isn't Milly's?"

" She didn't go to college, remember?" He asked, remembering discussing that.

" Oh yeah. Well I'll start on this side," Sissi said walking the other side of the attic. Taking three steps, the floor broke as Sissi fell through. Grabbing the edge she kept herself from falling. Looking down she saw she was above the stairs, and two stories high.

" Sissi!" Ulrich ran across the attic and grabbed her hand as the floor continued to crack. " Hold on!" Ulrich began to try to pull her up as the floor continued to crack. Sissi fell a few feet, what she was holding broke as Ulrich kept his hand on hers. Looking down he saw that several boxes had fallen already, ironically one was labeled, ' College Stuff'. Beginning to pull her up again, he pulled her high enough and she began to pull herself up again.

After a minute of careful actions Sissi was back on her feet, breathing hard. Ulrich and her climbed down before anything else happened. Walking to the box that had fallen Ulrich flipped it open as a note fell out. The note read, _" If you haven't figured this out by the time you got this, I sabotaged the roof. The black light is under your living room couch. Take care. Love, OWK." _Ulrich handed the note to Sissi and said, " What a bastard."

Walking into his living room he looked under his couch and like promised, the black light was under the it. Walking back into the dark kitchen where Sissi was pulling off splinters with a pair of tweezers Ulrich turned the black light on and ran it over the note.

" _In the grave is more than a girl, open it up and give it whirl. Six to the right, nine to the left, three to the right again. Wait and watch for the fun to begin." _After reading the note Ulrich said, " We need to take another look in that casket."

* * *

Ulrich and Sissi entered the police department and Sissi showed what they found out to her old Sargent. If he could, he'd get her back on the force. She knew what she was doing better than anyone. The Sargent took them to the evidence room where the casket was. They were still trying to find Yumi Ishiyama's body. The Sargent left them alone with the casket as they search it with a pair of rubber gloves. Sissi ran her fingers down the outside and the inside. Nothing was unusual about the casket.

Ulrich began on the inside again and felt something that he overlooked before. It was a small knob that was foreign to the rest of the casket. Looking at it closer he turned it, and saw that is spun. On one end of it was an arrow that was pointing straight up. ' _give it a whirl.' _Ulrich looked at the copy of the hidden message. ' _Six to the right, nine to the left, three to the right again.'_

" It's a lock combination," Ulrich said to Sissi. Sissi watched as he turned it to the right till it was facing straight down. " Six." Pulling it to the left he pass it once around then stopped with it pointing left. " Nine." Moving it right he stopped with it pointing right. " Three, and watch the fun begin." Pushing the knob, the sound of gears moving and creaking emerged from within the casket. The casket stayed still as they watched it.

In the center of the casket two notes appeared. Ulrich pulled out the long folded one and then looked at the little one that was small than an index card. Looking at the index card, he read, " Ten till... flip over." Ulrich flipped it over and read, " BOOM!"

" Shit!" Ulrich grabbed Sissi's hand and pulled her to the door of the evidence room and shut it behind him. Running three steps the casket exploded, knocking the door off its hinges sending it to Ulrich's back. The blast knocked them both to the floor, Sissi sliding across the floor as Ulrich was sent much further with the door. He hit the wall, then the door hit him, knocking his head against the wall. The flames had turned on every sprinkler on the floor, and had knocked the power out as well. Ulrich lay under the door in pain., soaking wet with a gash to his head and arm.

Sissi lay up, the room spinning around her, her ears ringing. She was cut and bruised and her clothes were a little burnt, but the water raining from above kept it from burning her skin. Lights above her were letting of sparks as she tried to find Ulrich.

" Ulrich?" she asked him, trying to find him in the wreckage. Managing to stand she stumbled across the room and saw his hand from under the smoking door. Pushing it off him he roller his body over to see he was still breathing. " Wake up Ulrich," She said to him.

Ulrich opened his eyes and looked up at her. " What a bastard," he said. Moving his arm he found out miserably how bad it was. Letting out a loud shout in pain Sissi crutched him to the other side of the room as police officers ran into the floor. They followed the debris and found Ulrich and Sissi, bruised, cut, burned, and hurt. Checking the evidence room they found the room was gone. All of the evidence of the one week kidnapper case, gone. Burned alive in one instant. Ulrich and Sissi were placed in an ambulance that drove them to the hospital.


	8. Reunion

Ulrich was laying in a hospital bed when he woke up. His entire body was aching from the trap that the one week kidnapper had placed for them. Looking at his arm, it was in a bandage from when the door collided into him. The room was fuzzy around him as he collected his thoughts of what had happened. He was a little out of it since he hit his head, slipping from consciousness to unconscious every other minute before he actually passed out.

Looking around his body he saw that he had nothing being pumped into him, which for him was a first with all of his hospital experiences. When he was thirteen he had been hit by a car, then two days after he got out, was shot in the chest, by the person driving the car no less. The man had tried to kill him twice and failed, but successfully killed Yumi Ishiyama. Besides that he always found himself in and out of hospitals. Seeing the door open he saw Sissi walk in with a few bandages. Ulrich took most of the blast.

" You okay?" Sissi asked him. Ulrich shrugged then slid his feet to the side of the bed. Letting his feet touch the ground he took the blanket off him as he looked for his clothes, not liking his paper gown. Seeing his pants on a table he slipped them on, then took off the gown. Sissi nearly gasped at what she way. Ulrich had at least thirty scars on his chest and stomach. Down his center chest was a rather large one that looked like it was from surgery.

" Is that from the car?" Sissi asked Ulrich. Ulrich nodded then placed his shirt back on, seeing several holes and burnt marks on it.

" What was the clue?" Ulrich asked Sissi.

" It said, 'nice try, wrong place.'"

" I got sent into the hospital for nothing," Ulrich said annoyed.

" At least we know something now," Sissi said to him. Ulrich looked at her. What did they know now that they hadn't known before. " He has traps at the answers to the clues, the arrow, the bomb, the floor, everything is a trap. Meant to confuse and test us. The bomb was a test to see if we were paying attention, and we failed."

" It said to check the coffin, and we did," Ulrich said to her.

" It said the grave. In the grave. It never mentioned a coffin, we just assumed, and apparently he guessed our assumption." Ulrich began to think. It was at least worth investigating.

* * *

The next afternoon Ulrich and Sissi went to the empty grave that they hadn't refilled yet. The grave seemed like something out of a horror movie. It looked like a zombie would jump out any second. But that didn't happen. It was just a grave, a hole in the ground. Ulrich dropped down into the hole and began to look around it's edges. He saw nothing at all, just dirt and worms.

" Nothing," he said to Sissi.

" Dig on the sides, I know it's here." Sissi dropped down as well. Sissi to Ulrich's surprise began to dig in the sides of the grave, getting her hands dirty. Twenty five years ago, Sissi would have been the last person to do this. Together they dug into the sides of the grave, trying to find anything. They were in the grave for ten minutes and nothing was found in it. Grooves made by their fingers were everywhere, but nothing had been revealed.

" Nothing is here," Ulrich said, his fingers numb and cold from the dirt. Sissi sadly nodded then watched Ulrich start to climb out of the grave. He hit his knee and the dirt, then shouted in pain, falling back into the grave.

" What was that?" Sissi dug into the spot where Ulrich hit his knee and found what they were looking for. Buried not even another centimeter, was the knob.

" Found it, still remember the combo?" Ulrich rubbed his knee then stood up, and began to do the combo. When it was in, he pushed the knob into the wall.

The grave around them began to shake. They weren't sure what to expect, another trap perhaps. They found out when the ground beneath them fell into a slope, and they began to slide down a slide. Ulrich fell to his back and was sliding head first. Sissi was behind him sliding on her back but feet first. Ulrich tried to turn his body around as they slid deeper, a few turns placed in the tunnel. A turn spun Ulrich around and he was now sliding feet first.

After the thirty second slid was over, they flew up and off the slide, Ulrich landed on his stomach then rolling onto his back. Sissi flew off a second later and landed on Ulrich. The two lay there, trying to get their heart rates normal as Ulrich helped Sissi off him. Looking around where they were, it looked like the basement of building. The ground was solid concrete, they were inclosed by four walls, one of which had a door.

" That's the only way," Ulrich said walking over to the door. Turning the knob it opened easy as they moved into the next room. This room was a hallway that connected to several dozen other rooms. The rooms seemed like holding cells. Ulrich and Sissi walked down the halls and turned to look in all the rooms to see if anyone was inside of them. The middle room, Ulrich looked in and saw nothing. After he saw nothing he kept moving then the door shot open quickly. The door hit Sissi in the back of the head knocking her out, but only hit Ulrich's shoulder. Ulrich spun and hit the wall as someone grabbed him from behind and held a knife to his throat.

" Don't move or I'll kill you," The voice of a woman said to him. " How do I get out of here?"

" I don't know," Ulrich responded. The girl slightly cut his neck and Ulrich cringed, blood slowly flowing down his shoulder.

" Liar," The girl said to him. Sissi snapped back to consciousness and then looked over her shoulder and saw Ulrich. The woman looked at Sissi, then dropped the knife. " Mom?" She asked.

" Dee Dee?" Sissi asked with shock written on her face and tears in her eyes. Sissi got to her feet and ran to her daughter, wrapping her arms around her tightly. Sissi had no idea what to say, or even what to think. Seventeen years. Seventeen long painful years of not knowing if she was even alive. Both were crying. Ulrich wiped the blood off his neck then walked over to the two.

" Who's in charge here?" Ulrich asked Dee Dee. She looked at him, still hugging her mother.

" I don't know his name. All I know is that he's got cold piercing blue eyes, and a very deep toned voice."

" Is there a girl named Yumi here?" Ulrich asked her. Denise shook her head.

" No, they took her away a few days ago."

" Where?"

" I don't know." Ulrich hit the wall then slid down it. So close again. " Did you guys find Carol in time?" They nodded as Denise smiled. " Glad someone got away."

" Why did they leave you here?" Sissi asked, noticing her daughter was a little skinny.

" I was becoming too difficult to move without exposure. And not to mention I almost killed one of them. But we have to find Yumi and the others. There are five more besides me."

" Did you overhear anything?" Sissi asked. Denise nodded.

" I heard that what you need to do is put a black light to the back of the clues." Ulrich looked to Sissi who looked around the room.

" Is anyone else down here?"

" No, they took them to another location." Ulrich began to walk down the hallway.

" Let's go, that should be a way out this way."


	9. Good bye and good luck

Halfway out of the building Denise developed a large cough. It grew so bad at one point they were practically carrying her. They found the exit fairly easily, finding it through the front door of an abandoned building. Taking Denise to the hospital she was examined by several doctors who said she was fine. She had a few scars from the experience that scared her mentally as well. The police appeared soon after and asked her several dozen question and got not as much information as they hoped they would.

Ulrich had just left Sissi alone with Denise to get something to drink from the vending machine on that floor. Sitting on a chair in the hall was a man and a woman he recognized. It was the Peters, the parents of Carol the girl they found in the casket days prior. Ulrich put his money back in his pocket then walked over to them.

" Hey," Ulrich said to them. They didn't respond. They didn't even see happy. So Ulrich decided to carry on the one way conversation. " How's Carol." Mr. Peters got up off his chair and punched Ulrich in the face. Ulrich hit the wall then just looked at him.

" Honey stop, he didn't know!" Mrs. Peters said, restraining her husband.

" What happened?" Ulrich asked, a little pissed off but controlled himself.

" Carol's dead," Mr. Peters said sadly. "She died the morning after you found her. She was sick." Mr. Peters said to him. He collapsed into his chair. " I had her back. Then she died."

Ulrich looked at Mr. Peters. Sad, upset, distraught. Then he saw a few nurses run by him, followed by a few doctors. Turning around he watched them casually, interested in who needed help. But then noticed they ran into Denise's room.

" Oh shit," Ulrich said running after them. Sissi was pulled out of the room a minute later, screaming, demanding to know what was wrong. " What's wrong?" Ulrich asked her. Sissi pointed in the room then Ulrich looked in. Denise was sweating, shaking, like she was having a seizure. The doctors closed the doors so Ulrich or Sissi couldn't look.

* * *

Ulrich and Sissi were waiting for the doctors diagnoses. It had been almost an hour since Denise began to show strange symptoms. It didn't seem good. Sissi paced around the waiting room, digging a trench in the floor with her feet. Back and forth, back and forth watching the minute hand on the clock move around the face. Ulrich sat on the chair with his elbows resting on his knees, his fists in a ball pressed under his chin keeping his head up.

An hour passed and a doctor walked in the room. At the ten minute marker they had been informed that Denise was moved in emergency care. Sissi stood up, a few minutes later she decided to sit down. A doctor walked out and Sissi stood up. Ulrich stood up as well, standing next to Sissi who held his hand for the support. The doctor shook his head. That was never a good sign.

" We truly have no idea what is wrong with her. It is an unheard virus."

" What do you mean unheard?" Ulrich asked.

" It isn't a virus medically heard of. Though we have seen more than one case with this in the last seventy two hours. It was the same for a little girl." Ulrich looked down the hall, and remembered seeing the Peters.

" Was the little girls name Carol?" Ulrich asked, having a hunch. The doctor checked the paper work and nodded.

" Yes, how did you know?"

" Does this virus seemed to be natural. An evolved virus?"

" No. In fact our lead is that it's a synthetic virus." Sissi heard that and began to wonder.

" Your saying the people who held her captive infected her with a human made virus?" Sissi asked, then she coughed. The doctor nodded.

" We don't know what's wrong, so we can't help her. She will die within the next day if it's as strong as we think it is. I'm sorry." Sissi needed Ulrich's support to stand. Falling halfway to her knees Ulrich caught her before she hit the ground. Sissi was crying. Crying like she was when she found her daughter who she hadn't even known was alive for seventeen years, except it wasn't tears of joy. Ulrich pulled her over to the chair, where Sissi began to cough more severely. It wasn't because of the crying.

" Ma'am, I think your infected with the virus. You need to be quarantined immediately before more cases arise." Sissi kept coughing, as the doctor helped her to her feet.

" What about me?" Ulrich asked.

" I think it best you come to." The doctor lead them to Denise's room where they were changed into gowns and then placed in separate places in the room that was being sealed off. They were to be isolated.

* * *

Sissi got to her feet and walked across the room to see Denise. When she arrived she saw her daughter was pale, sweating, bloodshot eyes, and twitchy. Every other second her arm or leg would have a muscle spasm. She was placed into a medicine induced sleep to buy her a little more time. Moving her hair out of her face, the medication seemed to have worn off because Denise woke up.

" Hey honey," Sissi said to her sweetly. Denise began to cry. Apparently she had been told what was going to happen.

" My entire life, I just wanted to die. Seventeen years of torture, abuse, rape. But in the end, when I finally escaped, I wanted to live, and now I die." Denise looked away from her mother. She had learned not to cry after everything that had happened. It was like in her early life every tear was drained from her system. Now it was like it was refilled.

Sissi tilted her chin, making her look at her. " For seventeen years I searched for you. I looked high and low, joined the police, tried to help other victims. I finally have you just to lose you. Do you know how many years I lost sleep. Honey, I haven't had a night sleep that wasn't caused by a pill in seventeen years. It tore me apart. If I could go back to that moment, I would have never taken my eye off you for a second." Denise smiled then just looked at her mother, who noticed that she was failing.

"Mom, I'm scared." She said.

" So am I. I'm sorry I was never there for you. I'm sorry I was a horrible mother."Sissi said to her, her own tears falling.

" You weren't mom. You tried to give me a good life before that happened. I knew we weren't good in aspects in life like money. I may have been four but I knew. If you knew, you would have kept me far away from the park. Far away from the swing. Close to you." The heart monitor got lower. " I love you mom."

" I love you Dee Dee," Sissi kissed her on the cheek. Denise weakly smiled at her then closed her eyes. The monitored flat lined, and Sissi sat on the chair and began to cry onto the bed. Ulrich watched from his bed as a doctor in a suit walked in. He was fully protected from the virus, unable to catch it.

" Look. I need to go," Ulrich said to the doctor.

" I'm sorry. You need to remain isolated until we get the virus out of your system."

" I'll be dead by tomorrow. I have a better chance out there. I just need time to figure out the clues."

" You can't take the chance of infecting other people." Ulrich knew he had to do something. So when the doctor turned his back he struck him in the back of the head. The doctor fell to the floor, his anti germ suit made to seal him off not for protection from attack. Ulrich went over to the door to see if anyone was coming then ran over to Sissi.

" I'm going to get the last clues, and do what Denise said. It could be our last chance. We'll both be dead by tomorrow. Stay here." Sissi nodded then just stared at him for a few seconds. Ulrich then after a few seconds leaned down and kissed her. It was a small kiss.

" Good luck," Sissi said to him. Ulrich nodded, check both ways out the hall, then began to move down the hall.


	10. I know where you are

Getting out of the hospital was easy enough for Ulrich. He only had to knock out four people to do so. Near the doors a few security guards were waiting for him. A nurse had checked the quarantine room and alerted them of Ulrich. Ulrich needed to be quarantined to avoid spreading his disease, but he needed to be somewhere else. Remembering what Denise said he needed to do. ' The answer is on the back of the clues. All you need is a black light.' Getting out the door was now the problem.

Ulrich took the stairs to avoid being cornered in the elevator. He was on the tenth floor, and had nine to get down. As he ran down he heard a voice over the intercom. ' Attention security. A patient named Ulrich Stern is attempting to escape. He is a high priority quarantine patient and needs to be isolated immediately.' Ulrich knew he had to hurry. Now the security was against him rather than only time.

Opening the door to the first floor hallway he looked through. Seeing it clear he walked in the hallway and began to walk to the main door. Turning the corner he saw the front door and four security guards. Turning back into his hallway he peered back around the corner.

" Dammit." he said to himself. If he had more time he'd just find another way out. Time wasn't his friend today.

Walking around the corner he began to walk to the front doors. The guards looked at him, then looked at the picture they were given to identify him. " Mr. Stern, cooperate or we will take you by force." One said to him. Ulrich stopped as they began to approach him. Ulrich rose his hands in the air to show his cooperation. One walked up with cuffs then was about to place them on Ulrich's wrist. Before Ulrich struck.

Ulrich sent his elbow to the mans jaw making him wobble to the side. Grabbing his knight stick from his waist, Ulrich then sent it to the mans gut. Kneeing him in the face the other guards rushed him. Ulrich ducked under a strike then struck in the second guards chest. The third's blow was blocked and Ulrich pulled the mans arm behind his back. The forth guard was going to attack before Ulrich pushed the third at him.

The second came back fast but Ulrich kicked the back of his knee, sending him to the other. Ulrich then send the stick to the back of his head then his head to the ground. The forth swung the stick and Ulrich blocked then countered with a swift elbow to the stomach then a punch to the face with the opposite hand. The third Grabbed Ulrich from behind but only got headbutted in the face then the stick to the side of the head. The forth was just getting up before Ulrich walked by then finished him off.

Throwing the stick to the ground he left the agonized guards and ran out into the street. Running left he called a cab and asked him to take him somewhere else. The police appeared from behind Ulrich as the cab drove away from the hospital. The police ran into the hospital and Ulrich let out a sigh of relief. Now that he had time, he told the driver his destination.

Ulrich paid the fare then walked up the walkway and into the front door of his home. Walking in he still expected to see his daughter running down the stairs. ' Daddy's home!' She'd hug him then tell him all about her day. Ulrich would sit on the couch listen to her tell her to go play then help Milly in the kitchen. They'd eat dinner as a family, talking about work and school. Milly would tuck Yumi in then go to their room.

Now when Ulrich looked around it was a barren, empty and quiet home. Looking up at the stairs he saw the hole in the ceiling from the attic. Looking at his answering machine he walked over to it and checked the messages. Four messages. Pressing play he sat on the couch.

' You have four new messages. Message one.' Ulrich heard nothing but silence. ' Ulrich, it's Zack. I guess your out. Look we need to talk. Kimi's gone.' Ulrich's ears pricked up when he heard that. ' he took her. The cops aren't helping any and I'm running out of time. I'm begging for your help. Call me back.' Ulrich heard the phone turn off. ' Call received ten thirty seven yesterday. Next message.'

' Ulrich, it's your mother. I know how your feeling and everything, but I think it's a good idea for you to leave the house for a bit. Call me back. Next message.'

The phone just went silent. ' Next message.' Ulrich waited for the message to start. He hated messages like the third one.

' Hello Mr. Stern.' Said a haunting voice. ' I take it you discovered that Carol and Denise are dead from the same thing. And that Denise told you the final clue. The disease is very contagious, if either of the girls breathe on you, your dead in less than a day. By now you also know that your dear friend Zack's daughter has joined my collection. You've been a fun challenge, but it's almost done. So as a prize for making it this far I'll give you a gift. If you wish to talk to your daughter, call this number.' The man began to say the number and Ulrich wrote them down. ' Have a nice day. Hope to see you soon. End of messages.'

Ulrich quickly picked up the phone and dialed the number that the man had given him. It rang a few times as his heart was pumping. He knew it was probably another trick, but he had to make sure. It rang a few times before it was connected with the other phone. The first thing he heard made him become silent.

" Daddy?" Yumi asked.

" Yumi," Ulrich said.

" Oh my god. Is it really you?" Yumi asked her father in tears.

" Yeah honey. It's me. Where are you?"

" I don't know. I never know. Daddy you have to help me," she said to him, then coughed. " I think I'm getting sick." Ulrich rubbed his head. He had poisoned her as well.

" Look. I need you to help me to help you. If you know anything that could help. Tell me. If not, you and me will die."

" I don't know," Yumi said scared.

" Think. Anything." Yumi began to think. Whenever they moved her she was tied and had her face covered. Ulrich saw red and blue lights flash from outside of his house. Looking though his blinds he saw the police outside of his house. " Hurry honey, I don't have much time."

" He said that, this ends where it began. Where you lost the first person you loved. I don't know what the means, but maybe you do." Ulrich looked at the police officer walking up his walkway. " Do you know." Ulrich began to think. He knew.

" I know where you are. I'll be there soon. Love you."

" Love you," Yumi said to him before Ulrich hung up the phone. The police opened his front door and Ulrich was behind it. One officer walked in a took a look around.

" What a dump," he said. Ulrich kicked the door closed and it hit the office hard. Ulrich then ran around it then kicked him in the face before he got back up. Seeing he came alone he took the keys from his vest then ran to the car. Ulrich was thinking he needed the clues to find her. The gift wasn't to talk to her, it was her. Ulrich was going to get her back.

* * *

Parking the car at the bridge he told the police to come here over the radio, though they'd end up here anyway after they figured out the car was stolen. Walking across a bridge he was soon standing over a twenty foot drop. Looking down he saw a collapsed elevator and a sealed off shaft. He hated this place. It had taken so much from him. So many years he wasted here, fighting someone who would eventually be his friend. He had almost died here a handful of times. And someone he knew had died here. He hated this place because of that. He was in the factory.

Stepping down the stairs to the main floor he stood in the center of the factory that was dark. He knew someone was watching him. Nowadays, someone was always watching him.

" I'm here! Where is she!" Ulrich shouted as his voice reflected back to him. Suddenly he was blinded by spot lights that shot at him. He was now standing in a lit room and looking at one man.

" Hello Mr. Stern." The man said. He wasn't wearing a mask today. Ulrich looked at him, and didn't know him, but recognized him from somewhere. He was decently tall, five foot ten, scrawny, with short black hair. His eyes stood out the most. Cold blue eyes. When he spoke again it was the most disturbing voice.

" Congratulations, you've almost passed." Ulrich turned around when he heard foot steps behind him. It was three more men, one carrying a syringe. " Just one more test."

The man with the syringe tried to inject him but he wouldn't hold still. The two other restrained him as the man injected it into his neck. Ulrich became weak almost instantly. Wobbling to the left he hit a beam and began to slid down it.

" What the hell did you inject me with?" Ulrich asked him.

" A hallucinogen. It will go through your veins then arrive at you brain. When it does it will make you pass out and enter a dream. A dream that will give you your greatest desires. This dream is temporary. The virus will kill you still. But whether or not you can escape the dream, is up to your will power. This is your final test Ulrich. Succeed, and you will get your daughter and the cure. Fail, you both die." Ulrich eyelids began to fall as he continued to look at the man. Then it hit him.

" Detective?" he asked. The man smiled.

" You remember. Yes, I was the man that bitch Sissi hit. I took her place as your detective. Now go to sleep." Ulrich couldn't stay conscious any longer then fell to the side and began to dream. His greatest dream ever.


	11. What could of been

A dream by definition is an event that takes place in deep sleep. The event is images, sounds, and other sensations while you sleep. Some people don't remember their dreams. They fall asleep, wake up happy, but don't remember why. Some people have nightmares. A type of dream, but not sensational. Nightmares are filled with horror, demons, fears, and other things people are afraid of. A dream is something that Ulrich Stern hadn't had in twenty six years. Only nightmares.

The nightmares were all different for him, but usually revolve around the same thing. The death of Yumi Ishiyama. Every night he says to himself, ' happy thoughts,' but the happy thoughts never come. It starts with Yumi. She's smiling, laughing, beautiful. Basically being herself. Then she suddenly gets torn away from him in a horrifying manner. She dies different every time, but before she dies, she stares at Ulrich and says his name. Then Ulrich would shoot up in his bed, heart racing, drenched in a cold sweat, and crying.

As Ulrich slowly fell into sleep, he was focusing his mind on the man who had been behind this. A detective. The detective who was assigned to his case for a year after Sissi was suspended. Ulrich was wondering how he never noticed before. His voice wasn't the same when he was his detective. He wore glasses to cover his eyes. Ulrich felt so stupid again. The detective had put on a show, a show that everyone seemed to know about except for Ulrich. Before he thought further into it, sleep took him.

* * *

Ulrich opened his eyes. He was still tired when he woke up, but knew he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep. Yawning, stretching and scratching, lay up in his bed and looked around his room. He felt hungry, but knew his wife wouldn't be up for another few hours. She always slept in on Saturday.

Suddenly the bedroom door opened and a ten year old boy walked in with a tray of food. Behind him was a eight year old boy with a bed table, and following him was the youngest of his children. It was a four year old girl.

The oldest one took after the father. The middle child took after both, having traits split between them. The youngest looked like the mother. His oldest child was hard to guess his heritage because he didn't look much like his mother at all. With the middle child it was somewhat easier his eyes were Japanese, but everything else was German. The youngest, you'd have to find a trait that looked German.

The little girl was three and a half feet tall. She was growing pretty slow but didn't let that bother her. Ulrich didn't care because that's what she inherited from him. Height. His wife was taller than he was, only by a few inches but still taller. She had her mothers short, straight, black hair, her mothers eyes, nose, ears, head shape, body shape, feet, hands, everything. Besides height and few personality traits, she was just like her mother.

" Breakfast in bed, what's the occasion?" Ulrich asked his children. They just shrugged and placed the food in front of him. Eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes and toast. " What do you guys want?" he asked, thinking it was bribe of some kind.

" Nothing," the ten year old said. " Just thought it'd be cool to make you breakfast."

" Oh really Ben?" Ulrich asked. " Max, is that true?" He asked the eight year old. Max nodded then placed the newspaper on the tray. " Okay, seriously, you guys have to want something," Ulrich said to them. He had just thought, ' all they forgot was the newspaper.'

" Dad, everyone eats breakfast with the news," Ben said to him. " Want anything else?" Ulrich looked down at his breakfast. All was good.

" No I'm good. Thank you." They all smiled then left the room, except for the little girl who walked around the bed and began to nudge the wife awake. " Let mommy sleep. You know she sleeps in on Saturday."

" I have the recital today. And she needs to help me get ready for it," The little girl said to him.

" Alright, but you woke her up, not me," Ulrich said to her. Leaning over he nudged his wife then whispered in her ear. " Yumi, get up." Yumi shot up, almost head butting Ulrich. She looked at him with her extremely tired face, messed up hair, and angry expression.

" Ulrich. Saturday before noon is not a good time to get me up," Yumi said to him.

" Mommy?" The little girl said to her. Yumi turned her head and saw her daughter.

" Yes sweety?" Yumi asked.

" I have the recital today, and I don't think I'm ready," the little girl said to her. Yumi smiled then pulled the blanket off her.

" Okay sweety. I'll help you get ready." The little girl smiled then walked out of the room. Yumi slid her legs off the bed then stood up. She stretched with her arms as high up as they would go. Leaning back slightly she felt a few bones crack. Cracking her neck she walked around the bed.

" Why did they make you breakfast?" Yumi asked, as surprised as he was.

" Hell if I know," Ulrich said taking a piece of toast. Yumi reached over, and took the remaining bacon. Ulrich looked at her with a cute/mad face. No one takes his bacon.

" I love you," she said, as if saying that excused her bacon theft. Ulrich just chuckled and Yumi leaned down to kiss him. Then she grabbed her towel that was hanging on the hook attached to the door. Ulrich finished his breakfast then went downstairs to see the usual Saturday commotion. Ben and Max fighting over the remote, the dogs begging for food, the cat watching the boys fight over the remote, his daughter Rachel on a stool in the kitchen getting out a bowl for cereal. Walking into the kitchen he helped Rachel before she hurt herself.

Then he fed the dogs. They have two dogs. A small female beagle, and a male schnauzer. The schnauzer they had named Mr. Wiggies. The beagle the named tiger, because when she was still a puppy she would claw and chew on everything. Couch cushions, tv remote, stuff animals, toys, shoes, everything. Mr. Wiggies was a lazy dog, all he did was lounge around the house all day, but when it was time for food he'd come running. For fun Max likes to time how fast he gets in the room if he was on the other side of the house.

After the dogs had started eating Ulrich went into the living room to make the boys come to a compromise, that lasted three seconds before they went back at it. Ben since he had reached age ten thought he was too old for cartoons. Max on the other hand still watched all the good stuff. So Max felt bad when he was missing Saturday morning cartoons. Ben wanted to watch the news, Max wanted spongebob. Ulrich cracked with compromising.

" Ben look, be the adult here, and go watch the news somewhere else. We have enough tvs in this house. Or go read the newspaper." Ben looked at his father, thinking of his defense. His father had hit his weakness. Being considered a child. Ben knew if he fought, he'd be the child, so he stood up off the couch and walked back upstairs.

" Thanks dad," Max said as he changed the channel back to cartoons. Ulrich heard his bedroom door shut and Yumi begin to walk down stairs. She was wearing a pair of light blue jeans, a grey t shirt with some logo on it, and had her hair down per usual. She usually wore black pants and a blouse, but today was her day off. Ulrich had actually only seen her hair up twice. Prom, and their wedding. She wasn't intending it, but to Ulrich she was stunning in anything. To this day it makes him wonder why she chose him.

Yumi went straight into kitchen and began to discuss the recital with Rachel. Ulrich walked in after her a moment later. Yumi watched as Rachel showed her what she was supposed to do. A few spins, quick steps, stand one foot. Yumi watched her with a smile, because she was absolutely adorable, and was good. It wasn't the sarcastic parental good so they won't hurt your feelings, she was actually good.

" Sweety, your perfect at it. Why are you so worried?" Yumi asked.

" Because. Everyone will be looking at me," Rachel said as if she was scared just by saying it. Yumi shook her head in disbelief. Stage fright. It was funny to Yumi because she knew Rachel got that from Ulrich and not her. Ulrich almost failed speech because of that.

" Sweety. You'll look so beautiful, your incredible at ballet, so what's to worry?" Yumi asked her. Yumi wasn't helping. She couldn't relate to her because she didn't have the same problem. " Just smile and dance." Rachel didn't want to say her mother wasn't helping.

" Okay," Rachel said, though her advise didn't work. Ulrich walked back into the living room to see Max watching cartoons. Ulrich didn't find it juvenile to watch cartoons, so sat next to Max on the couch. Yumi leaned in the room and smiled when she saw the two. Carrying two coffee cups she walked into the kitchen and handed Ulrich his coffee. She sat on the couch's arm and watched it with them. She didn't find it juvenile either.

* * *

" How long has he been out for?" The detective asked one of his men.

" About half an hour," he answered. " Do you think he'll be able to wake up before the virus tears him apart?"

" Doubt it. But I've heard some crazy stuff about this one. At late thirteen, early fourteen, he survived a pretty gruesome car accident. He was hit by a car going about fifty. Month and a half later when he got out, the next day he was shot. He survived both. I've read his medical records and it says he'll be lucky to reach fifty," The detective said. " But to be honest. My moneys on him."

" What makes you think that?" The man asked curiously.

" Because, when his family or friends are in danger, nothing will stop him. Shoot him, stab him, blind him, hit him with a car. He'll come back swinging harder every time." Suddenly Ulrich began to violently cough then the man looked at him. " Then again maybe not."

* * *

Yumi had to give Rachel some bad news. Yumi wasn't going to be able to attend her recital. Work had called her in. Ulrich had dropped off Max and Ben at soccer practice then was called by Yumi to quickly drive over to the auditorium. Ulrich arrived quickly then sat in the middle row of the sea of parents with cameras and video camera's to capture this moment forever. The show seemed to have been delayed.

" Mr. Stern?" A woman with a clip board said to him. Looking over, he recognized the woman. It was Rachel's ballet instructor.

" Yeah?" Ulrich asked.

" Rachel is having a moment. Could you try to calm her down so we can get this underway?" She asked. Ulrich shook his head. He should have expected this. Rachel choking before the show started. She was like him.

" Alright, where is she?" Ulrich asked so he could get this underway. The instructor led him to back stage where the first thing he heard was a little girl crying. His little girl. Rachel was in the corner crying, tears running down her face, her breathing had was going to fast for her too keep up, and she was shaking scared.

Ulrich walked over to her and crouched down to her level. " Honey?" Ulrich asked her. Rachel just kept crying, not looking at anyone. " Rachel, look at me." Rachel lifted her up and looked at her father. Tears had stained her face, and her eyes were red and scared.

" I can't do it," Rachel said to him.

" Honey. I'm not asking you too. You wanted to do ballet, you're good at it. But you can't let fear get the best of you. We all have it. Trust me if I was you, I'd probably be in this corner as well. You don't have to."

" But I want to. I really really really do. But...everyone will be watching. I could fall down, mess up," Rachel said to him.

" Yeah you could. Falling down isn't a bad thing. But not getting back up is," Ulrich said. He was looking to see if he was helping. It seemed he was some, but he needed something a little more effective. Some insurance.

" I'll tell you what. When you get on stage, look at the back wall. I'll be there. Just looked at me. No one else. Pretend that me and you are the only ones here. You're dancing for me and no one else."

Rachel began to think about that. She stopped crying then wiped her tears off her face. She smiled weakly then looked at him. " Okay. I'll try."

* * *

Ulrich was where he promised he'd be. He wasn't the only one standing in the back. Other parents with cameras and smiles were waiting for the show to start. The curtain rose and music began to play. A few of the dancers went on stag first. Cameras started to record as more of them took the stage. Rachel was going to be the most noticed because she was entering the stage last. Ulrich saw her lean her head in, then looked at everyone but him. She immediately leaned back in.

Rachel could be seen being nudged in by the instructor to get on the stage. After a few seconds she was practically pushed on. She stood on stage left with everyone in the building waiting for her to start. She was shaking as she scanned the crowd. She wanted to be anywhere else but here. Just when she was about to run off the stage, she saw him. Ulrich's and Rachel's eyes locked.

Ulrich smiled then nodded to her. Rachel closed her eyes for a few seconds to relax. When she opened them what she saw helped. She didn't see anyone else. Just her father. No one was watching her. It was passed pretending that they were the only ones, when she looked out, she saw no one else. She smiled back at him, then started to dance.

It was perfect. Every turn. Every spin. Every step. Just as she had practiced. She went across the stage and the cameras followed her. All eyes were on her, but she didn't see them. Only his eyes. It was a private dance. After the recital was done, the music was over, and then everyone began to clap. She closed her eyes then opened them again. Reality had snapped back, then she ran off the stage. Ulrich chuckled then kept clapping.

Ulrich and Rachel were walking outside of the auditorium after the recital to go to the car. The moment he placed the key in, he began to cough. It was so violent he fell against the car to keep from falling to the ground. Rachel walked around then looked at him.

" Are you alright daddy?" Rachel asked. Ulrich stopped coughing, but could still feel it coming on.

" I'm fine. I just wish I knew what the was," Ulrich answered. Then he felt something hit his leg. Looking down he saw that a newspaper had just blown onto his leg.

Looking at the main article he saw that it was titled, " Virus out break!" Suddenly everything came to him. This wasn't real. Nothing was.

Ulrich remembered why he was here. He was dreaming a good dream. Something he hadn't had in too long. Everything he wanted he was given. He wanted breakfast, he got it. He wanted to know what was wrong with him, it rolled onto his lap. This dream was too good for his mind to let go. He knew what he had to do to get out. He had to turn this dream into a nightmare.


	12. What's behind curtain 1

Ulrich knew this was a dream. He knew it the second things from the real world began to affect him. The violent coughing from the virus. The virus that was going to kill him. Not only him, but his daughter, Sissi, and countless others already infected but not showing signs yet. The only problem was, how was he supposed to escape.

Then Ulrich began to think about the nightmares he had for twenty six years. All held one thing. Yumi Ishiyama's death. The girl Ulrich felt responsible for. He hated himself. He believed he let her die. He remembered what always woke him up at three o'clock in the morning. He would see her die, say his name, then he'd shoot up in his bed, panting, sweating, and crying.

Ulrich was sad because he knew what he had to do to escape. He was going to have to let Yumi die again. It was the only thing that could.

" Daddy?" Rachel asked him, because he was still on the ground next to his car.

" I'm fine, let's go home," Ulrich said to her then opened his car door and sat on the seat. Starting the car he drove it home. Rachel jumped out of the car and ran into the house. Ulrich walked in a few seconds later to hear and Rachel telling Yumi about the recital, and how perfect she was.

" I told you you'd be perfect," Yumi said to her daughter. " Now wash up, diners soon."

" Okay mommy," Rachel answered then ran upstairs to change out of her dress and wash her hands. Ulrich placed the keys on the table as he walked in then sat on a chair. Yumi walked over from behind him then placed her arms around his shoulders.

" How was your day?" She asked Ulrich. She tilted his head back then kissed him, then immediately noticed something was wrong. His kisses were limp when something was wrong.

" What is it?" She asked him. Ulrich knew he had to do it. He had to make the dream kill her. Looking around the house, he knew it was too hard to imagine something to kill her in here that he knew couldn't happen. His mind wouldn't let it happen if he thought it couldn't.

" Let's go out later," Ulrich said to her.

" Why?" She asked, " We haven't gone out since I bugged you about it last time."

" I just wanna go out, okay?" Ulrich asked. Yumi looked at him then nodded.

" Okay."

* * *

They ate diner as a family. The main topic of conversation was the recital. Max was a little nicer to Rachel than Ben was. Ben was at the age where girl things were stupid, or the word he had recently learned, ' Gay.'

" Recitals are gay," Ben said, then took a bite of his diner.

" Ben!" Yumi said to him, using her authority voice. Max shook his head and Rachel looked at him angry.

" No they're not!" Rachel shouted at him.

" Yes they are twirp," Ben said back to her.

" I'm not a twirp!"

" No yelling at diner!" Yumi, ironically yelled. " Be quiet, both of you. And Ben, where did you learn that word?" Yumi asked, not remembering herself or Ulrich saying it.

" What word?" Ben asked.

" The G word," Yumi said back.

" Gay?" Max asked. Yumi groaned then left the table.

" Way to go Max," Ben said to him.

" What did I do?" Max asked him.

" You said gay," Ben said like Max was stupid.

" You said it first," Max said back.

" Enough!" Ulrich yelled at both of them. " Your rooms, now." Ulrich said to them.

" But..."

" Now!" Ulrich yelled at them. They dropped their forks and left the table.

" Do I have to go?" Rachel asked him.

" You didn't do anything wrong, your brothers are just boneheads." Rachel giggled then smiled at him. " I'm going to see if mommy's alright." Ulrich stood up from the table then walked into the living room to see a very flustered Yumi.

" Long day?" Ulrich asked. Yumi didn't look at him, just nodded. She never shouted unless she was irritated by work.

" I get called in, on my day off. The day I was supposed to see my four year old's recital and be a good mom, for once in my life," Yumi said to him. Yumi was a working mom. More of her time was spent at work than at home. Or with the kids. She hated herself because she knew she should spend more time with them. But she had a good job that took her years to get her promotion, and she didn't want to loose that.

" Your not a bad mom, you just don't see them as much as you hope you can. When you're here you're a great mother, Rachel loves you, Max loves you, Ben does even if he won't admit it." Yumi giggled then smiled. That's the Ben she knew.

" Thanks Ulrich," Yumi said, he seemed to know how to help. " Still want to go out?" She asked. Ulrich got sad. He hated the reason he needed her to got outside.

" Yeah," Ulrich said to her. Rachel walked in the room, having finished her diner.

" You finish?" Yumi asked her. Rachel nodded big. " Brush your teeth and get ready for bed." Rachel ran up the stairs then brushed her teeth. Yumi went up a minute later to help her change for bed. Then Yumi went into her and Ulrich's bedroom and got her jacket, then walked back into Rachel's room to tuck her in.

Ulrich walked in while she was being tucked in. It was the last time he was going to see her, if this worked or not. He'd either escape the dream, or die. Walking over to her, he kneeled next to her bed, then hugged her. Kissing both of her cheeks he wished her good night, then closed the door behind Yumi.

" I'll tell the boys, meet you down stairs," Ulrich said to her. Yumi nodded then walked to the door. Ulrich knocked on Ben's room first then stepped in. " Your mother and I are going out," Ulrich said to him.

" When's the baby sitter getting here?" Ben asked.

" You're in charge till we get back. You want responsibility, here's your chance," Ulrich said to him. " If you need anything, my cell's on the fridge, and if Max acts up, threaten to call me that should work."

" Thanks," Ben said to him. " For trusting me with this."

" Can't baby you forever. Though your mom might," Ulrich said to him. Ulrich left his room then walked down the hall and knocked on the door next to the stairs. Knocking then walking in he looked at Max who was playing his gameboy.

" Yeah dad?" Max asked, pausing his game.

" Your mom and I are going out," Ulrich said to him. " Ben's in charge, act up and your grounded."

" Why is he in charge?"

" He's the oldest, he has seniority over you. See you later, have a good night," Ulrich said to him.

" Dad, you sound like your never going to see me again," Max said, he was usually good at reading his father.

" You never know," Ulrich said then shut the door. He leaned his back against it then began to cry. He was never going to see them again. It made him almost want to stay here forever. Who know's, maybe heaven was this place. So he wouldn't go anywhere. Then again, he didn't want his real daughter to die. He had to choice between what was real, and what wasn't. What he already had, and what he could be fooled into thinking he had.

Wiping the tears off his face, he moved down stairs then him and Yumi left. Ulrich hadn't decided on where they would go yet. Stopping at a red light, Ulrich stopped the car. Then he began to cry.

" Ulrich?" Yumi asked.

" I'm sorry," Ulrich said to her. Yumi looked at him confused.

" Your sorry? Why?" She asked, not knowing what he did wrong.

" Your not real," Ulrich said to her. " This is a dream. I'm in dream, and I have to get out."

" Ulrich what are you talking about."

' Please don't fight me,' Ulrich said to himself. ' Let her understand.'

" I understand Ulrich. The dream gives you everything you want, which is why it's so hard to fight. I know what has to happen to me. I love you. Life or death." Yumi smiled then leaned over and kissed him. Ulrich closed his eyes and began to think what he needed to happen.

When he opened his eyes and when he looked at Yumi, he saw a truck about to hit them. " Go get her," Yumi said before the truck hit.

* * *

Ulrich shot awake in the factory, sweat beating off his forehead, and dripping the ground. Slowly he stood up, then looked around the room. It was the same exact place he passed out in from the injection. Then he heard a noise breaking the silence of the room. Looking to his left he saw the detective clapping his hands.

" Bravo Mr. Stern. Bravo. You've won. Now this way to get her," He said. The detective walked toward he elevator and then stepped in. ' He found the lab.' Ulrich stepped into the lab, with a gun on him, though he was too tired to fight.

" When I first came down here, I cracked the code on the door and entered a destroyed laboratory. The internal programming was fried, blown to bits, but the computer itself was fine. So I erased the data and took it over, and welcome to my base," he said to Ulrich. Ulrich sighed. At least he couldn't find lyoko.

The elevator door opened and Ulrich was shoved inside by one of the men. Walking into the room that was the lab, he noticed it was spaced out more, and the holosphere was projecting what looked like a blood cell, except it was yellow. Ulrich looked around the room and looked at everything. Then he saw a little girl on the ground sitting against the wall with her arms holding her knees against her chest.

She was a year older. But still had her mothers red hair, her fathers eyes, and everything else split between them, The little girl looked up then locked eyes with Ulrich.

" Daddy!" Yumi shouted then ran across the room and wrapped her arms around his back. She was crying deeply into his stomach and Ulrich kneeled down and hugged.

" Where's the cure. You said if I got out, I got the cure, give me it." Ulrich said to the detective.

" There was a catch. I said I'll give you the cure, never said both of you." Ulrich got to his feet and was about to punch him before he heard a gun cock. " Mr. Stern do you even know who we are?"

" Kidnappers for jollies?" Ulrich asked.

" No. I only kidnap people with a rare blood type. Your daughter fit the age and the blood type I needed to test with."

" Test. If your not kidnappers, then what are you?" Ulrich asked.

" We are what the officials call bio terrorist. We create biological weapons. Like the virus that is turning off your nervous system," the detective said to him. " With me being a police officer, I can sabotage the effort to hunt my organization down from the inside."

" The one week kidnapper has been around for twenty years. Your barely thirty," Ulrich said to him, knowing that didn't add up.

" Have you ever heard of a copy cat. He's been dead for years. So to get my test subjects, and give the police pointless clues to lead them away from me, I pretended to be him."

" Why did you give us Denise Delmas?" Ulrich asked. She was where the clue said.

" She was a field test. I've had her for only five years. The original one week died. She's the one who killed him. So I recaptured her, and began to use her as my primary test subject. She was tolerant to so much. She's been injected with at least ten lethal viruses, and lived them all but the last."

" That's it. You use children as ginniepigs." Ulrich said to him.

" What is going to piss you off the most is where I got the main ingredient for my latest virus. The one you have. Look behind the curtain." Ulrich saw a curtain hung up on the other side of the room and walked toward it slowly. He was scared of what horrible thing most likely was hidden behind it.

Stopping next to it, he pulled the curtain away and looked at the body that should have looked different. It should have been decayed and ruined. But it wasn't. It was perfect. Perfectly preserved like the last day Ulrich saw her. Laying on the bed, in front of Ulrich, was Yumi Ishiyama.


	13. Not Possible

It wasn't possible. Ulrich legs almost made him fall to the floor just by looking at her. Yumi was lying in front of him. She wasn't decayed like she should be. Ulrich saw her die that day, he knew she was dead. But why was her body is such perfect condition. It scared Ulrich because it looked like she was sleeping.

" Is she..." Ulrich asked the detective.

" Yes, she's dead. You saw that happen," He said to Ulrich.

" Then why is she...like this?" Ulrich asked.

" Preserved?" The detective asked. Ulrich nodded but didn't take her eyes off Yumi. " The poison," He answered.

" How would the poison do this to her?" Ulrich asked him.

" The poison he used had an ingredient in it that perfectly preserved her," he began, " It was a home made poison and he made that ingredient by accident. But when that ingredient combined with my design and my own ingredients, you get a rather powerful virus that spreads up the nervous system and makes your brain shut down."

" You, got the ingredient from her?" Ulrich asked, gesturing at Yumi.

" Yes. Her entire body is intact. Her blood cells, brain cells, muscles, bones, preserved to perfection. The poison William Dunbar injected her with still lingers in her blood stream, keeping her preserved."

Ulrich looked at Yumi then back at his daughter. His daughter hadn't seen Yumi, and he didn't want her to.

" Where's my cure?" Ulrich said to him. The detective opened his coat pocket and showed Ulrich a syringe with it's cap still over the needle. Inside was a blue fluid that made it look almost eerie. The detective threw it toward Ulrich who caught it.

" Now a tough choice, you, or your daughter?" The detective said to Ulrich. Ulrich didn't answer. He walked over to his daughter and pulled up her sleeve.

" This will make your cough go away honey," Ulrich said to her. Yumi nodded then looked away as Ulrich injected her.

" How obvious you are is truly remarkable," He said to Ulrich then picked up a gun. " Any last words?"

" You said I get my daughter back," Ulrich said to him.

" I said you get to see her again, never mention you'd be alive after that. And besides, did you honestly think I'd let you waltz out of here?" he asked Ulrich with the gun aimed up. It had slipped Ulrich's mind. He was about to pull the trigger before his attention was distracted.

" Sir, we have a break in," said one of the men on the computers. The detective lowered his gun and looked at him.

" What?" He asked.

" Someone's in the elevator shaft," he said to him. Suddenly they heard a loud stomp then a man.

" Give me her!" A man shouted at the detective. Ulrich looked his way and saw who it was. Zack. He had come for his daughter. Zack had a gun aimed up and ready to fire. " Where is she?"

" Mr. Lyoko, your daughter is fine, if you follow me," the detective said while turning around. A moment later he quickly turned back around and was about to shoot but was hit before he pulled the trigger. Zack shot first.

" Zack," Ulrich said to him. The detective lay up from the floor and looked at one of the men on the computers.

" Begin the destruction sequence," he said then rested his head against the ground. A man on the computer typed in a few keys.

" Self destruct initiated. Ten minutes till detonation," a voice said in the lab. A few of the men in the room ran for the elevator that a moment later went up leaving Ulrich, Yumi and Zack alone.

" Get her out of here, I'm not leaving without Kimi," Zack said to him. Ulrich nodded then ran to the shaft.

" Good luck," Ulrich said then began to climb up with Yumi on his shoulders. Ulrich pushed the hatch on the bottom of the elevator open and walked into the main room of the factory.

" Don't move!" Was the first thing he heard. Several officers came out and aimed their guns at Ulrich. Then they lowered them. " He's the quarantine suspect," an officer said.

" Get out of here now, it's going to explode," Ulrich said. The police could see he was being obvious so pulled out of the building. A few minutes later Zack came out with several of the missing children and Kimi, and was hugging her like he couldn't believe she was real. And vise versa.

Then Ulrich realized something. Yumi's body was still down there. He couldn't just leave it.

" Zack, could you watch Yumi for me?" Ulrich asked. Zack nodded and Ulrich took off running back into the lab.

" Mr. Stern!" An officer shouted as he ran by and the elevator closed behind him. " Dammit!"

* * *

The elevator opened in the lab and Ulrich ran out into it. Looking around he saw blood on the floor and Yumi's body still on the table. Running over to her he looked down at her and still couldn't believe she wasn't decayed. Cradling her in his arms he began to walk toward the lab.

" Detonation in three minutes," the voice said all over the lab. Ulrich was halfway back to the elevator before he saw the detective from the corner of his eye. The detective tried to stab Ulrich with a syringe but Ulrich took a step back, making him stab Yumi's arm. It was a syringe filled with the antidote.

The detective then managed to punched Ulrich in the face, making him drop Yumi onto the floor. " I should of just killed her," He said to Ulrich. " Then you would have stopped looking."

" No I wouldn't. I'd keep searching for you, for revenge," Ulrich said then rushed him and connected with his face. The detective wobbled back and hit has back against the computer screens. The detective decided to run so ran for the elevator. Ulrich grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back. Kicking the back of his knees he made him fall then held him in a choke lock.

" You killed my wife. You kidnap my daughter, poison me, Sissi, and countless other people. This is for them," Ulrich said to him.

" No wait.." he pleaded before Ulrich snapped his neck. Ulrich let him fall to the floor dead and lifeless.

" Detonation in two minutes," the voice said. Ulrich walked back over to Yumi and picked her up again. He boarded the elevator and the door closed. Then it rocked violently from a small explosion. Ulrich heard the elevator grind then slid down some. The cable was breaking.

" Shit," Ulrich said then looked at the hatch above him. Opening it up he used the hand rail to push Yumi up, then pulled himself up. He began to climb once he found a way to carry Yumi up the ladder.

" Detonation in one minute."

* * *

Zack was waiting for Ulrich to come out of the factory for what ever reason he went back in for. He was sitting in the back of an ambulance with his daughter watching and waiting.

" Daddy?" Kimi asked.

" Yeah?" He asked.

" What's going to happen?" Then she got her answer. The factor exploded larger than anyone could have predicted. Windows shattered, building's raddled, and Zack and Kimi were knocked back in the ambulance.

" Ulrich!" Zack shouted as a large cloud of black and grey dust filled covered the area. Then he saw it. Ulrich walking with Yumi in his arms slowly through the smoke. Zack walked over to him and Ulrich lay Yumi's body on the ground.

" Couldn't leave her huh?" Zack asked. Ulrich shook his head as Zack gasped.

" What?" Ulrich asked.

" She's bleeding," Zack said to him. Ulrich look down and saw that the debris from the explosion, had cut her arm. Ulrich ripped a piece of his shirt to cover the wound. " Ulrich she's bleeding."

" I know," he said.

" It's flowing out, not leaking out. It flows only when circulatory system is working, when someone is alive," Zack explained. Ulrich looked down at Yumi shocked. It couldn't be. Then he swore he felt her arm twitch. Then her eyes twitch. Ulrich's heart stopped as she opened her eyes.

Yumi Ishiyama looked up at the man who was holding her gently. She had never seen him in her entire life. But his eyes were familiar. " Ulrich?" she asked him.

Ulrich figured out how to breathe again as he began to cry. Somehow, someway, Yumi Ishiyama was alive.


	14. Getting lives back

" Twenty six years?" Yumi Ishiyama asked Ulrich who was now laying in a hospital bed. Ulrich nodded then looked at the doctor who was injected a large needle into him. Ulrich sat there as he was injected then the doctor pulled it out when it was finished.

" There you go Mr. Stern," the doctor said to him. The made up more antidotes by a few blood samples from both Yumi's who were both injected with the antidote. " You should rest the for remainder of the day, but you should be out of here by tomorrow." Ulrich nodded at him and the doctor left the room.

" So did the doctor have any idea why your alive?" Ulrich asked her. Yumi nodded.

" Yeah. The poison William injected me with had an ingredient in it that shut down my body. The same ingredient for the virus. It theoretically placed my entire body in a coma, it kept me from growing or decaying and when the detective tried to stab you and injected me, it dissolved the ingredient in my blood stream and knocked me out of the coma."

" So it could be helpful," Ulrich said to her.

"What do you mean?" Yumi asked, not sure where he was going with it.

" Let's say you have a disease that can't be cured, or you don't have the money to afford it. You can be placed in that coma that will stop you from dying or aging while they look for the cure or money."

" I was in a casket for twenty six years," Yumi said, the thought disturbing her. " Legally dead. What about my parents?"

" I'm not sure, you'll have to ask Hiroki," Ulrich said to her. Yumi suddenly lit up.

" Oh my god. My brother is older than me now," Yumi said to him with a laugh.

" He's still shorter though," Ulrich said to her. Yumi smiled then looked at him.

" Great, your twenty five years older than me now," Yumi said to Ulrich sadly.

" Well it means you can start over. Where you left off," Ulrich said to her.

" What about the others?" Yumi asked.

" Well Odd went back the states, Jeremie and Aelita are around, they were married for like five years before they got a divorce, and Zack is still in town," Ulrich explained to her.

" Aelita and Jeremie got a divorce? Why?" She asked, thinking those two were perfect for each other.

" Well Aelita said they argued a lot, namely about a baby," Ulrich said to her. " Aelita wanted a baby, Jeremie didn't mind so they tried. Never happened and Jeremie decided they should give up. Aelita didn't agree and now they're divorced."

" Over a baby?" Yumi asked him.

" Over a baby," Ulrich said to her answer her question.

" Are you seeing anyone right now?" Yumi asked him, to see if there was still a chance for her even with the enormous age difference.

" Kinda. I was married, but that bastard killed her. Want to meet my daughter?" Ulrich asked. Yumi looked at him and smiled.

" You're a daddy?" Yumi asked him. Ulrich hit the nurse call button and then asked if his daughter could come in the room. They wheeled her bed in from the child care wing of the hospital. Yumi looked at her as she was wheeled in.

" Ulrich, she looks like a little Milly," Yumi said to him.

" She is. Milly Solovieff was my wife for nine years before she was killed," Ulrich explained. " Yumi, this is my daughter, her name is Yumi as well," Ulrich said to her.

" Nice to meet you little Yumi," Yumi said to her. It was weird for her to say that. " So who are you kinda seeing now?"

" Ulrich," A woman from the door asked. Ulrich looked at the door and saw Sissi. She had been given the cure first so she was walking around already. Yumi looked at the woman for a few moments before she realized who she was.

" Sissi," Yumi asked.

" Hello Yumi," Sissi said to her then walked into the room. " In case your wondering how I'm involved, I was his detective when little Yumi was kidnapped." The four talked for several hours and the next day Yumi went home to her parents who were hysteric.

* * *

A week later after anyone affected was cured, everyone was released and a case that lasted two decades finally ended. A whole new chapter was created in medical science and Yumi was asked to spend a week so they could examine her and learn how what happened did. It still baffled them.

Ulrich was home and about to go to work. Yumi had her backpack on for school and they were going to the door. " Ready to go sweety?" Ulrich asked. Yumi nodded and Ulrich opened the door.

At the door was Sissi who was about to knock. The door opening surprised her and she took a step back. " Go wait in the car," Ulrich said to her and Yumi walked to the car and sat in the passenger seat, throwing her backpack in the back.

" Hey," she said to him, " So, starting work and school again."

"Had to get my life back sometime," Ulrich said to her.

" So I know that since Yumi's back and all," Sissi began, " I want to know something. Do you still love her?"

" Sure. I realize that fate set us up to make it impossible, but I love her as a friend now. Because I can actually get over one thing."

" What's that?" Sissi asked, wondering what this could be.

" I know what could have happened. That dream I was tested with is what I think would have happened. What hurt me so much before is that I would never get to know what could have happened between Yumi and I. Now I do and because of that I can get over it, and go with something else."

" Like what?" Ulrich took a step closer to her then kissed her. Sissi was shocked by this at first, but quickly began to kiss back. After about twenty seconds they stopped and looked at each other.

" What makes you think it'll work between us?" Sissi asked him. Ulrich thought for a moment.

" Feels right. Eighth grade is a little backwards now isn't it," Ulrich said to her. Sissi giggled then looked away, placing her head on his shoulder.

" It sure is," Sissi said to him. " Do you love me?" Sissi asked before she knew it. She knew after she asked it was a little early to ask.

" I like you, and I'm always in the mood to be persuaded," Ulrich said to her. Sissi smiled then kissed him again.

" Fine. We'll start simple. Diner?"

" Diner, I'll call you when I get off work," Ulrich said to her then got into his car. Starting the car he looked back at Sissi and gave a slight wave then pulled out of the driveway.

Sissi leaned against his door and smiled. It took nearly thirty years but she finally had him. Practically gliding to her car she started it then began to dance in her mind. She knew it was too early for him to decide if what they had was love, but she knew this time she'd at least get the chance to make him.


	15. Deleted Scenes

To start the deleted scenes, here were some facts about why I do deleted scenes. 2remember- "As to adding a 'deleted scenes' chapter, I don't know if that's a good idea. What works for a DVD doesn't necessarily work in a story."

It does actually. It gives the reader a little insight on the creation of the story, and lets them know that I'm a very flexible author. It gives the story an extra chapter and allows the opportunity to get more reviews. I prove this at the bottom of the deleted scenes under stats.

To decide whether I should do the deleted scenes I read the reviews that commented on that note in chapter 14. Out of ten people who had a comment, seven were for it, three against it.

I'll start it simple. Alternate events. There are a lot.

_Alternate events..._

1. The first alternate event was that the detective knew that Yumi was in a coma and told Ulrich that, to make is choice on who to give the cure to harder. He still choice his daughter, thinking Yumi was a trick and not alive. Her revival happens in this one as well.

2. In the original outline, Denise survived the story. I had her and Ulrich infiltrate the bio terrorist lab and blow it to shit while they got the kidnapped children. The virus wasn't introduced in this one, neither was Yumi's revival. So it ended Sissi Ulrich like the final draft.

3. At one point I was going to have Odd dead in the story. He died in a car crash five years prior and Aelita was the only one not aware. She finds out in the story and that leads to other plots that I couldn't fit in at all. So I just left him out. Which is pretty weird because he's my favorite character, and Odd/Aelita in my favorite pairing. Almost every story has it.

4. I had a flashback in mind about the reunion party where Ulrich found Milly that day. I really wanted it in there, but I couldn't get it in properly. Almost all my stories have a small lemon, so that would have been it.

5. When Denise told Ulrich how to find the final clue, " Black light on all of the clues." He had a total of seven sheets of paper and when he placed a black light to all of them, each sheet had a letter on it. The letters A-F-C-T-R-O-Y, were on the papers, which is an anagram for factory. So he'd still end up in the same place.

6. The dream test that Ulrich was forced with was a random idea I had. It sounded like an impressive challenge, and made the back guy seem more of a threat. Another random event was Ulrich talking to his daughter, I wanted him to get to the factory faster.

7. I had Zack help in the end because I have to have at least one moment with Zack. Zack is a cool guy, especially when you think about who he used to be. My favorite OC of all time, even when compared with Xi from Future isn't written, or Damien from End of a battle, beginning of a war.

8. It actually took me till late in the story to figure out who the bad guy should be. I had a few ideas, but William wasn't ever on that list. He was dead, I was happy with it, so he never made the cut.

_**Sequels? And spin offs...**_

It is possible. I haven't confirmed if I will yet with myself but the idea has majority of supporters over non supporters. So more or less it's going to happen. Keep an eye on my profile, it updates, if there's a preview to that, it's in there.

The xana a human kid spinoff has been confirmed to be in progress as of now. I have nearly ten pages of material and will submit chapter one when another story is finished.

_**Stats...**_

Here's to prove my point to 2remember real quick. If you go back to the deleted scenes

chapter of As you wish, there are stats for that story. Here they are again, then with the updated stats next to them, to show the dramatic improvement due and attention drawn by the extra chapter.

As you wish stats... three weeks ago/now

Reviews- 154/169

Hits- 3453/5205

c2s- 2/5

alerts- 18/21

favs- 22/30

Big difference.

Nightmares of the past stats as of now

Reviews- 120

Hits-2252

c2s-2

alerts-17

favs-23

That's the end of the deleted scenes.


End file.
